Kamen Rider RanO
by Ten-Faced Paladin
Summary: DenLiner has pulled into Nerima. Watch as Ranma takes on the role of a guardian of the timeline, DenO!
1. My Name is Momotaros!

I do not own Ranma 1/2 or Kamen Rider Den-O. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. I wish I did own them but I don't so I might as well move on with my life.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 1: My Name is Momotaros!

Ranma was feeling odd. He wasn't sick and he hadn't taken a beating from any of his rivals or Akane thus far. It was just a feeling in his gut that rose the hairs on the back of his neck. He wasn't sure what it was but he knew that sooner or later he was going to be mixed up in the middle of it. He had been feeling weird ki signatures all day. They were really small so he couldn't pinpoint them, but there was an odd feeling about them. The only thing that he could determine about them was that they were almost falling from the sky.

"I'll deal with it later," Ranma shrugged. He usually always did.

The reason he had been walking was because he was coming home from school. Usually Akane would be the one with him but she had gone ahead because they had yet another argument. This left Ranma alone to reconnect with his thoughts. Well, he would have until he was suddenly interrupted.

"AIREN!"

"RANMA-HONEY!"

"RANCHAN!"

As with the norm of Nerima, the various girls after Ranma's heart/hand began their hunt anew. Also the norm in Nerima, when the fiancées of Ranma Saotome came coming, his rivals were not too far behind.

"SAOTOME! PREPARE TO DIE!"

"RELEASE AKANE TENDO FOUL SORCERER!"

"CHAAAAARGE!"

"SHAMPOO IS MINE!"

What came next was again normal for Nerima. A huge martial arts battle that destroyed a good portion of property that would have the owners weeping and the contractors weeping with joy. The girls would fight each other while trying to get Ranma's attention while the boys would do their best to destroy him so they could 'free' their respective loves. It had gotten to a point where all three girls had glomped onto Ranma, while the boys had started fighting each other for the right to destroy their hated rival. This was the scene that Akane had walked in upon after Kasumi had asked her to fetch Ranma for dinner.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" she shrieked in rage as she charged and pounded Ranma into the lower atmosphere. This sparked a battle between the girls concerning Akane's treatment of 'their' man, but let's focus on Ranma for the moment.

"Stupid tomboy," Ranma frowned as he corrected his position while flying through the air.

As he was flying though, Ranma didn't notice a yellow orb coming down from the clouds. It was glowing brightly and seemed to have its attention focused on someone down below. Well, someone who had their bike stuck in a tree anyway. It was actually so focused that it didn't notice Ranma coming at him until it was too late. Ranma had collided with the orb and said orb was absorbed inside of his body. The boy in question didn't notice the orb as he continued soaring through the air. He was too focused on landing properly and avoiding some major pain. He saw his landing point coming up and he bent his legs to prepare for it. The people walking by were somewhat surprised to see a boy with a pigtail suddenly fall from the sky and land with a light tap.

"Wow," Ranma blinked as he checked his surroundings. "This has got to be somewhere in greater Tokyo. The tomboy's been practicing."

Deciding to get to some higher ground so he could begin roof hopping back home, Ranma started walking up some stairs that led to the streets. As he was walking though, he almost tripped on something that was wedged between two of the steps. Looking down, he saw it was some kind of black object with a round circle that had a line in it about halfway. Staring at it for a moment, Ranma shrugged before slipping it into his pocket. If it was important then someone would put up posters for it or something.

While Ranma was walking, sand started falling from his body and piling up on the ground. It wasn't long before there was enough to fill a sandbox. Ranma stopped for a moment as he noticed that he was covered with sand and started brushing it off.

"How did I get covered with this stuff?" he wondered. "I haven't been to the beach all month."

As more sand started falling, it began to collect on a certain point. It continued piling until a figure started rising from it. It was outfitted in a kind of outfit that had several dark lines and symbols on it. It had two deep eyes and two horns sticking out from the top of its head. Its entire body was made from sand. Oddly enough though, the creature's legs from the knees down could be seen hovering above its head.

"Ask of me your greatest desire," it asked in a deep intimidating tone, but seeing that Ranma wasn't paying attention, it started getting angry. "Hey! Pay attention when I'm talking to you!"

Thinking that the angry voice was talking to someone else, Ranma felt that he got the sand off his body and took a flying leap to the top of a low building before he started heading back to the Nerima district. The sand creature was left staring at Ranma as he leaped away.

"Wow," It gaped. "I didn't know humans could do that! Hey! Wait for me!"

The sand creature then dissolved back into individual particles and vanished from sight, assumingly following the martial artist back home.

Ranma spent the next hour or two leaping over rooftops until he came back to recognizable territory. Finally feeling that he was home again, he leaped back to street level and heaved a sigh as he let his muscles rest for a moment. Taking a seat on a bench, he took a moment to begin breathing exercises.

"Oi!" an angry voice shouted.

Ranma turned took look at the owner of said voice, expecting a rival or someone his father had ticked off, but found himself surprised when he found himself looking at a creature made of sand that was only up to its waist and had legs dangling out of midair. It was also panting slightly from exertion.

"What the heck are you?" Ranma blinked, used to weird things but this was rating a very high in his book.

"That doesn't matter!" the sand creature snapped. "What matters is that I'm here to grant you a wish!"

"Oh yeah?" Ranma frowned, getting suspicious. "What's the catch?"

"Uhhhh," the creature froze, unsure what to say. "Uh, what catch?"

"When it comes to things that grant wishes there's usually a pretty big catch! I know from experience," Ranma frowned, poking the creature in the chest, his finger sinking in. "So what's the catch to this wish you're offering?"

"I'll tell you after I grant your wish!" the creature snapped back. "And stop poking me!"

Ranma stopped poking, but his frown didn't leave his face, "I'm not buying it. No deal." With that, Ranma began walking away.

"Hey!" the creature sputtered, following him, his legs looking like they were running on air. "What do you mean 'no deal'!? I'm offering you chance at anything you want and you just turn it down!?"

"Bingo, sandy butt," Ranma replied. "I'll bet that you won't tell me what the catch is because you know that there's no way I'll agree to it."

"Well, that's all a matter of opinion," the creature shrugged before turning his attention back to Ranma. "Oh, come on! The faster you make a wish the faster I get out of your life! I won't stop bugging you until you make a wish!"

"Then I guess we're stuck together," Ranma shrugged. "'Cause the only thing I would ever wish for doesn't exist anymore!"

"What!" the creature shouted. "No way! I can get it! Cross my heart!"

"Yeah right," Ranma sighed as he turned into the Tendo's yard with his new companion behind him. "You're only saying that to make me wish for it."

"Grrr!" the sand creature frowned and followed.

Ranma stepped closer to the front door of the dojo, not noticing the time on the clocks inside. It read 11:11 and nine seconds. As Ranma stepped closer and reached for the door, it reached ten seconds. As he gripped the side to slide it open, it read eleven seconds. Ranma then slid the door open and stepped inside and shut it again, leaving the sand creature outside. He turned to face the rest of the house only to find himself in an open desert and rocky mountains staring at a white train that had a red front. He blinked for a few moments before stepping closer.

"Now this you don't see everyday," he commented to himself.

Stepping even closer, Ranma noticed a door open and someone stepping up to it. She was an attractive woman with a white and black outfit on. She had her hair tied up in a bun and wore a small hat. Her shirt was white and sleeveless with gloves that reached up her elbows. Watches are adorned on her arms and she had black pants on. She had a bright smile and a cup of coffee in her hands.

"Hello!" she smiled. "Welcome to Den Liner!"

"Uh...hi," Ranma nodded. "How are you?"

"Just fine!" the woman continued to smile before she leaned down and handed the cup of coffee to Ranma. "Here you go! Compliments of Den Liner!"

"Oh," Ranma blinked as he took the cup. "Uhh...thanks."

"You're welcome!" the woman smiled. "Bye bye!"

Ranma nodded his goodbye and began walking back to the door that led him to this strange place. His slowly slid it open and stepped back out before he closed it. Staring at the coffee in his hands he shrugged and took a sip. He flinched slightly at the heat but that was about it.

"Hey, this isn't bad," Ranma commented as he set the cup back onto the plate. "I wonder where that train had come from."

"Train?" the sand creature gasped, suddenly growing even more worried.

"Yeah, it was weird," Ranma explained. "I was in the middle of the desert and there was this huge train right there and there was this really nice girl who gave me this coffee. I turn around and come back out and here I am."

"Ohhhh!" the sand creature cried. "This is real bad! Ranma! Please make a wish! Please! Please! Please!"

"Oh, no way!" Ranma declined. "Not until you tell me what the catch is."

"And I said I'll tell you after I grant your wish!" the sand creature insisted. "I'm not going to go away either!"

"Then you might as well come in," Ranma sighed, opening the door to the Tendo house, half-expecting to see that train again. Instead, he found the usual entrance into the Tendo home. Ranma stepped inside with the sand creature following him. As he walked through the hall, Kasumi stepped out of the kitchen to see who had come home.

"Oh, hello, Ranma," she smiled. She then noticed the sand creature following him. "Oh! You made a new friend. I'll put some tea on."

"I really wouldn't call him a friend," Ranma grumbled as he continued on his way and entered the living room. Nabiki was sitting in there while reading a magazine. She idly glanced up and her eyes widened as she saw the sand creature for herself.

"Well, this is new, Saotome," she spoke. "Who's your new tag-along?"

"Dunno," Ranma shrugged as he took a seat, placing the coffee on the table. "I noticed him when I got back to Nerima after Akane punted me. He won't go away!"

"Not until you make a wish!" the sand creature restated stubbornly before folding his arms.

"Wish?" Nabiki blinked, growing even more interested. "Hey, I've got a wish."

"Sorry," the sand creature sighed. "It has to be Ranma. I'm stuck with him until he makes a wish."

"You want to give Ranma a wish?" asked Kasumi as she entered the room with four cups of tea. "That's so nice of you. Ranma, you could wish for a cure for your curse."

"A cure for a curse?" the creature asked before it suddenly got excited. "Hey! Yeah! I can do that! All you gotta do is say the word, Ranma!"

"A cure doesn't exist anymore Kasumi," Ranma sighed. "Remember how Jusenkyo got flooded?"

"That's right," Nabiki nodded. "We got the whole story after the wedding, remember?" she then turned to the sand creature whom was leaning on the table with his sandy limb. "Anyway, just who are you?"

"Uhh," the sand creature fidgeted. "I...don't really...have a name."

"Oh my!" Kasumi gasped. "Well, that's not right. Everyone should have a name. Now what would be good for you?"

"He looks kind of like an ogre from those old stories," Nabiki commented offhandedly.

"He does, doesn't he?" Kasumi nodded. "I know! How about 'Momotaro'? Like the peach boy?"

"What?! 'Momotaro'!?" the sand creature gaped. "Hold on a sec!"

"Sounds a little old-age to me," Nabiki replied.

"Thank-you," the creature nodded.

"I think something more new-age would sound a lot better," she continued. "Something like 'Momotaros'."

"'Momotaros'!?" the creature shrieked. "Oh come on!"

"That sounds nice!" Kasumi smiled before turning to the creature. "Would you like some tea, Momotaros-san?"

"Ugh," the newly dubbed Momotaros sighed. "Sure."

Kasumi handed out the tea for everyone before settling in herself. Everyone had taken a quiet sip while Nabiki was gazing at Momotaros with a calculating eye. Maybe if she could get Ranma to move the wish to her. Chances like this didn't come very often. She did not want to pass this one up.

"So, Momotaros-san," Kasumi spoke. "Why did you pick Ranma to grant a wish for?"

"I didn't," Momotaros sighed. "I was actually going to pick this hapless sucker I saw who had somehow gotten his bike and himself stuck in a tree. He looked like he had a wish or two. Instead, Ranma came flying through the air and I got absorbed into his body."

"Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped.

"Hey, I saw that guy," Ranma snickered. "Even my luck isn't that bad."

"So why exactly do you grant wishes?" asked Nabiki.

"Uhhh...I don't know," Momotaros shrugged. "I just know that I have to. Something about what I get in return for granting wishes."

"And what do you get in return?" asked Ranma.

"You'll find out after I grant your wish," Momotatos replied.

Nabiki frowned slightly at that. If Momotaros wasn't willing to tell what exactly he wanted in return for granting a wish then it was probably something big and something that most people weren't going to give up easily without a fight. Now all that was left to do was find out just what that was.

"Whatever," Ranma sighed as he stood up again. "I'm going to see if I can find Akane. She hasn't come back home yet has she?"

"Not yet," Kasumi replied. "I think she might be near the school. That's where your friends found you, right?"

"Yeah," Ranma sighed. "I thought so. You can stay here until I get back sandy butt."

"It's Momotaros!" Momotaros shouted. "Weren't you listening?!"

Ranma just ignored him and stepped outside before heading out to find Akane, leaving a fuming Momotaros behind.

* * *

Gosunkugi watched from behind a tree with his camera as she was talking to that lost boy Ryoga Hibiki. After Akane had sent Ranma flying, there was a short brawl between the girls about it before they left to try and find him. The boys were still fighting until they noticed that Ranma was gone and so were their loves. Well, Kuno tried to hug Akane before she sent him flying. Ryoga was the last one there because Akane had started talking to him and he didn't know what to say. Akane just continued to be friendly to the lost boy while Gosunkugi silently fumed. It wasn't fair! He had been in love with Akane for so long and all these fools thought that they could just waltz up and get a date with her.

As Gosunkugi continued to fume silently and take pictures of Akane's smiling face, he didn't notice a yellow orb hovering down from the sky. It seemed to consider him for a moment before it continued on its path and let itself merge with Gosunkugi. The obsessed and sickly boy didn't even notice as sand started falling from his body and begin to pile up. The sand moved a short distance away from him before a figure rose out of it up to his waist. It looked like a fusion between a bull and a man that was half machine. It had nasty eyes with large horns sticking from the sides of its head. Its body was muscular with a necklace of bones and a large metallic arm made up his right arm. His legs dangled above and they looked like boots styled after hooves.

"I will grant you anything you wish," it suddenly spoke, causing Gosunkugi to turn around and squeak in fear. "I only ask for one thing in return."

"A-anything I wish?" Gosunkugi asked, hope filling in his heart, obviously not hearing about the part where it wanted something in return.

"Yes," the sand creature nodded. "Anything you wish. I will make it yours."

Gosunkugi felt that this was the best day in his life. Through all his suffering at the hands of Saotome and Kuno, he had finally been given the chance to make his one and only dream come true! He already knew what he would wish for.

"I...I wish...I wish that Akane Tendo was mine!" he cried.

Upon hearing the words, the creature began to change. He rose more from the ground as his legs that were dangling above vanished. It continued until it was standing like a normal person. Its colors also changed. Most of its body was black with his necklace turning white and his pants turning brown. His metal arm had turned gray as the steel it was apparently made of. Its eyes became a blood red as well.

"Akane Tendo to be yours," the creature repeated. "Got it!"

* * *

Ranma was walking through the streets as he headed to where he was guessing that Akane was last. Maybe if he was lucky he could keep his foot out of his mouth and actually have a pleasant walk back home. As he was walking though, he forgot about one of the basic rules of Nerima. When you're Ranma Saotome and you are walking out in the open, the chances of meeting a rival are that much higher.

"RANMA!" Mousse's voice suddenly cried out. "SHAMPOO IS MINE!"

His danger sense flaring, Ranma leaped aside as a series of chains with blades on the end collided with the spot where he had been standing a minute ago.

"Aw, man," Ranma sighed. "Can't these guys get a life?"

* * *

Back at the Tendo household, Momotaros was watching television while occasionally answering a question or two that Nabiki had thrown out for him. She was about to ask him something concerning what he would ask for in return for a wish when he suddenly snapped to attention.

"A fight!" he cried.

"Huh?" Nabiki blinked in confusion.

"Ranma's in a fight!" Momotaros laughed. "And here I thought he was boring!"

"How can you tell he's in a fight?" wondered Nabiki.

"I'm connected to him!" Momotaro replied quickly. "I gotta get in on this!"

Momotaros dashed to the doorway only to vanish in a haze of sand particles. Nabiki watched him go in slight confusion. That is, before she realized that she could use that early warning system to cash in on any fights that Ranma had while she wasn't around.

* * *

Ranma dodged another volley of chains before he leaped towards Mousse in attempts to knock him out quickly so he could get back to looking for Akane. He reared back his fist, ready to pound Mousse's face in when the myopic martial artists suddenly brought a large mallet out of his sleeve and pounded Ranma in the head, sending him crashing into a wall with enough force to make an indent.

"Hah!" Mousse laughed. "You aren't the only one who can improve! Shampoo is mine! Admit it, Ranma!"

The form of Ranma Saotome seemed still for a moment before something odd happened. For those with the ability to sense ki or see it on a visible spectrum without the user concentrating on it, they would have seen a red image of Momotaros appear above Ranma before merging with him. Ranma's body shuddered for a bit before it removed itself from the indent on the wall. His eyes opened to reveal that his irises had turned red and a red streak of hair could be found in his black locks. It was obvious that Momotaros was the one running the show now. He grinned as he slicked back his hair to keep it out of his face, the red streak becoming more apparent.

"Ore sanjou!" Ranma Red (Momotaros) called as he took a battle pose.

Mousse, thanks to his bad eyesight, didn't even notice the change and thanks to his arrogance and his inability to notice the obvious, didn't notice the change in Ranma's voice.

"So, you still wish to battle me, Ranma?" Mousse snickered. "Then it is your funeral!"

"Oh, shut up!" Ranma Red sighed. "We're in the middle of a fight and all you can do is go 'Shampoo' this and 'your funeral' that! Oh just give it a rest and let's fight already!"

"As you wish!" Mousse shouted in rage as he threw more chains at Ranma Red.

Ranma Red just sidestepped the attack and dashed towards Mousse with a sadistic grin on his face. Mousse, thinking that Ranma was going to try hitting him like he had attempted before, quickly brought his mallet out and swung at Ranma Red again. The mallet only hit air as Ranma Red ducked underneath it and rolled forward. Mousse looked down in shock before Ranma Red planted a fierce uppercut into his face and sent him flying to the dirt, seeing stars.

"Hnn," Ranma Red frowned. "What a lightweight."

He stepped towards Mousse's stunned form and yanked a street sign out of the sidewalk before stepping closer. Using his strength to rip off a portion of it until it was the same length as a sword. He stood over Mousse and placed the pole in both hands.

"Alright," Ranma Red grinned. "Time for you to see my hissatsu attack!"

Ranma Red raised the pole, ready to bring it down on his still dazed opponent. His body was quickly enveloped in a red aura. Before he could actually finish the attack though, he was interrupted.

'_What the heck do you think you're doing?!_' Ranma's enraged voice echoed inside of Ranma Red's head.

Ranma Red soon felt something surging within him as his red aura was quickly mixing with a sky blue aura. Ranma Red tried to fight back but a pulse of power saw the image of Momotaros being expelled from Ranma's body, his eyes returning to their stormy blue and the red streak of hair vanishing, along with his hair returning to normal. The red aura vanished so quickly it was like it hadn't even been there.

"What the heck was that?" Ranma shouted, trying to find Momotaros. "You coulda killed him!"

'_He's got a thick head,_" Momotaros replied within Ranma's mind. '_He woulda survived. Besides, it's not like I woulda hurt anything he used a lot anyway._'

Despite the fact that Ranma agreed to a point, he knew that the aura Momotaros was packing into that attack would have seriously hurt the myopic moron. Even Ranma knew the meaning of restraint. Shaking his head he turned to leave when he started hearing some kind of tune before a warp appeared in the air. Ranma was tensed and ready to fight when the train that he had seen from before came racing through and came to a stop in front of him and Mousse.

"What the...?" Ranma blinked. "How'd it get here? There's no tracks."

The train came to a halt before a hissing noise could be heard from one of the carriages. He looked over to see a door opening and a set of stairs folding out. After that a woman who looked a little older than Kasumi came stepping out. She had long dark hair and a white shirt along with a black skirt. She stepped onto the pavement and looked right at Ranma before she gasped.

"Finally!" she spoke. "About time I found you!"

"Huh?" Ranma blinked, starting to wonder if this lady was yet another fiancée that his father had cheated.

"You have something of mine!" the woman replied as she stepped closer to Ranma. "It's important that I get it back!"

"Look, lady," Ranma frowned, not liking her tone. "I don't know what my father stole from you but you can leave me out of it!"

"What?" the woman blinked. "Look, this is no time to be playing games. Just give back my property."

"I'm not playing any games," Ranma insisted. "I don't have anything that belongs to you. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get going."

Ranma then took a running start and leaped onto a building before leaping away. The woman gaped at the performance before she started to notice something. There were particles in the air that followed him. Her eyes widened when she realized what that could mean. Could he be?

Ranma continued moving as he lamented about meeting that girl who seemingly wanted something from him.

'_Story of my life_,' he sighed inwardly. '_Everyone always wants something from me and they don't care how I feel._'

'_If you made a wish I might get them off your back,_' Momotaros offered.

'_Not the time for this,_' Ranma growled.

While Ranma was having his conversation with Momotaros, there was a sudden explosion that sent debris into the sky and caught Ranma's attention. He instantly turned in his path and headed for the source. What worried him was that it was pretty close to Furinkan.

'_Please don't let it be Ryoga going nuts with the Bakusai Tenketsu again!_' Ranma groaned inwardly.

Leaping over rooftops, Ranma finally came to a stop where the source of the explosion was. What he saw was something he rather wouldn't. There was some kind of bull-man/robot walking down the street toward Ryoga, who was shielding Akane. The lost boy looked like he had seen better days. His shirt was torn and his left eye was swelling up. He also had a few cuts on his body, a pretty good sign to see how strong this thing was.

"Momotaros," Ranma frowned. "Is this guy like you?"

'_Yeah,_' Momotaros replied. '_He's like me._'

"Then why is he solid?" Ranma asked, his muscles tensing.

'_Because whoever he is contracted to made a wish!_' Momotaros huffed. '_He kinda has to be solid to grant it!_'

Below him, the monster was still stepping towards the two teens. It had to admit that the boy was tough and could throw a punch. It was just that the monster was stronger and had naturally tougher skin. The boy did put up a fight though.

"I'll ask one more time," the monster growled. "Give me Akane Tendo!"

"No way!" Ryoga growled.

"So be it," the monster growled before a blade extended from its right hand. "I will take her from you!"

"MOKO TAKABISHA!" a new voice roared before an orb of blue energy collided with the monster's back, sending it to the dirt.

"Ranma?" Akane gasped before the boy in question leaped to the ground and planted himself between his friends and the monster.

"Ryoga, get Akane out of here," Ranma frowned. "I'll handle things from here."

"Like hell, Ranma!" Ryoga bellowed. "I was doing perfectly fine until you showed up!"

"Would you just shut up and let me fight now!" Ranma frowned. "You're a mess! Just get out of here!"

"Please, Ryoga!" Akane insisted. "You're hurt!"

"Fine!" Ryoga spat. "But if you let this thing kill you then I'll make your afterlife hell, Ranma!"

Ryoga then let Akane drag him away from the fight. It was fortunate that she did since the monster was beginning to get back up again. It glared at Ranma and narrowed its red eyes.

"An impressive attack," it acknowledged. "Similar to what that other boy did. It hurt somewhat but it would take a lot of them to actually cause lasting harm."

"Well then I'll just have to prove how far above P-chan I am then!" Ranma snickered as he took a stance.

'_You'd better not lose, Ranma!_' Momotaros shuted. '_If you die then I'll vanish too!_'

"Just let me take Akane Tendo and I'll spare your life," the monster offered. "I need her to grant my contractor's wish."

'_Great, that means most of the boys in the school could have wished that!_' Ranma groaned internally. '_If I ever find out which one of those pervs made a deal with this guy I'm going to kick their ass straight to the moon!_'

Not bothering to make anymore smart remarks, Ranma charged forward to put the thing down and hopefully find out just who was desperate enough to make a wish with it. The monster made a wide slash but Ranma ducked underneath and made a straight right punch into its abdomen. It staggered back with the wind knocked out of it but Ranma's hand pulsed with pain from the hit. Its skin was tough!

"Looks like I'll have to try something different," Ranma frowned.

Taking another stance, Ranma leaped at the monster while concentrating his ki into his foot. When he was close enough, he planted a roundhouse kick into the monster's head. It stumbled to the side while its left horn cracked under the force of the blow. Ranma backed off but now his ankle was feeling sore along with his right hand going numb. The monster was taking a moment to recover while Ranma found a break in the fighting as a blessing so he could tame the pain he was feeling.

"Baka!" a female voice shouted.

Ranma turned to the source, half-expecting to see Akane only to see the girl from before bonk him on the head and looking rather angry. Where'd she come from?

"Fighting an Imagin with your bare hands?" she frowned. "Are you crazy?"

"Oh," Ranma grimaced. "And you have some kind of special weapon that's perfect for fighting these things?"

"No, you have it!" the girl shot back. "It looks like a small black box. I know you have it."

Ranma frowned in thought for a moment before reaching into his pocket and pulling out the object that he had picked up after his little flight into Tokyo. The girl's eyes brightened when she had gotten a good look on it.

"That's it!" she exclaimed. "I knew it! You are the one who can be Den-O!"

"Den-O?" asked Ranma. "What the heck is that?"

"Never mind," the girl huffed. "Just use the pass to transform! Henshin!"

"Henshin?" asked Ranma.

A sensation suddenly came to his waist which caused him to look down. What he found was a belt wrapped around his waist. The front had the same symbol on it that the black box had. Beside it was four colored buttons. Red, blue, yellow, and purple. Ranma was quickly finding himself to be more confused than before.

"Okay," the girl nodded. "Now you can transform."

"Transform?" Ranma frowned as he twisted his torso to glance back at the recovering monster. "How do you suggest I do that?"

As Ranma had moved, he had let the black box pass over the symbol on the belt. It suddenly lit up and Ranma immediately found himself surrounded by light. It faded after a moment and he found himself in a suit of armor. It was a black bodysuit covered in white, gray, and black armor. It pressed against his body and the helmet was mostly white save for the gray mouth guard and black eyes. It also had a gray line coming right down the middle of the helmet. His belt now had black items that were grouped in two on each side. His arms and legs were both donned with white gauntlets and boots. He had become Kamen Rider Den-O

"Now you can fight!" the girl smiled before pushing him toward the monster.

Den-O sighed and grumbled about pushy tomboys before he dashed towards the monster. It growled loudly before it used another wide slash. Den-O ducked underneath it again, thinking it was another easy hit, but instead he got a devastating kick to the torso that sent him straight up and back down to the ground.

"Gah!" Den-O gasped. This guy hit harder than Herb! He might even manage to give Saffron a moderate beating.

The monster just stomped over to him and grabbed him by the neck before throwing him several feet into a wall. It cracked slightly from the force of the blow. Den-O fell to the ground with his head in a spin. He hadn't fought an opponent like this in a while.

'_Ranma!_' Momotaros cried. '_He's not toying with you anymore! He sees you as a threat now! You're tired from the last fights! He'll clobber you!_'

"And what do you suggest?" Den-O asked, slightly dazed.

'_Switch with me!_' Momotaros shouted. '_I'll fight him!_'

"And how do you suggest that?" Den-O replied as he got back on his feet unsteadily.

'_The red button!_' Momotaros explained. '_Use that!_'

Den-O looked down to his belt and saw the red button that was on his belt. He reached to it and pressed it. Suddenly, the symbol on his buckle turned a bright red and gave off a tune that Den-O could recall coming from the train that he had seen appear in front of him. Feeling the black box appear in his hand again, Den-O swiped it in front of his belt again.

"**Sword Form!**" the buckle called before pieces of armor started appearing in rainbow light around him. Two red pieces attached themselves to his chest while yellow and black pieces were stuck to his back. Plain red and white shoulder plates appeared on his shoulders while what looked like a red metal peach came sliding over his face from the back of his head. When it came into position it split in half with the points extending before attaching itself to his face as a new visor.

"Ore sanjou!" Den-O SF shouted as he took a battle position.

Both the girl and the monster were rather surprised at this outcome. Neither had been expecting for an entirely new person to take up the fight in place of Ranma. It was harder to tell who was more surprised; the girl or the monster.

"What are you doing?!" the monster shouted. "Don't you know our mission?!"

"I never really knew it anyway," Den-O SF (Sword Form) shrugged as he pulled two of the black items from his belt and snapped them together. "I would rather fight and being Den-O gives me the perfect chance to do that!"

Den-O SF then tossed the combined item into the air and pulled out the last two items. As it came back down, he attached the two items to either side of the combined one. There was a flash of light before a red sword blade came out of the top of the new weapon.

"Now my blood is boiling!" Den-O SF cried before he charged with his new sword.

Den-O SF raised his weapon and slashed at the monster, making sparks shoot from its reinforced skin as it cried in pain. Den-O SF didn't stop his assault as he attacked continuously. The monster threw some punches but Den-O SF was a lot faster so he was able to dodge the attacks easily now that he wasn't tired like Ranma was. Another punch was thrown but Den-O SF ducked underneath it before using and upward slash which sent the monster stumbling back.

"Heh," Den-O SF smirked. "If this is all you have then I might as well finish this now."

Summoning the black box to his hand, Den-O SF swiped it over his belt buckle again, "**Full Charge!**"

Streams of red energy shot from the buckle and into the sword blade as it started to glow brightly, "Now, here's my hissatsu attack, part two!"

The blade suddenly flew from the rest of the weapon and straight into the air. Den-O SF used an upward diagonal strike that was nowhere near the monster, but the blade could be seen coming from the sky. It dove through the ground before cutting right through the monster in a diagonal strike. Den-O SF then used another diagonal strike which was executed in the same manner. With the monster roaring in pain since the first strike, Den-O SF decided to end it with a single downward vertical strike which went right through the monster and caused it to explode in a fiery blast.

Den-O SF took a neutral stance as the blade reattached itself to the rest of the sword. He looked on at the remains of his opponent with satisfaction at his victory.

'_What have I gotten myself dragged into now?_' Ranma asked himself as he witnessed what Den-O SF had done.


	2. A Day in the Life of Ranma

I do not own Kamen Rider Den-O nor do I own Ranma 1/2. They belong to their respective creators and not me. Anyone who thinks otherwise is slightly confused.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 2: A Day In the Life of Ranma

Den-O SF watched over the burning flames of his former opponent and seemed satisfied that he had won. Gripping his belt he removed it from his body and held it at his side. With no more power source, the suit that he was donned in vanished in a haze of light. When it died down, only Ranma could be seen holding the belt. He took a moment to catch his breath before turning his gaze to the girl who had taught him to transform. Frowning slightly, he walked over to her.

"Okay," Ranma spoke slowly. "I think that I've earned a couple of answers by now. Just what the heck was that thing? While I'm at it, who are you?"

"Okay," the girl sighed. "I'll explain everything. Follow me."

Not seeing any point in complaining, and really wanting to get some answers, Ranma complied with the mysterious girl's wishes. She led Ranma down the street before coming to a building with a door on it. She came to a stop in front of it and started looking at her watch. Ranma was silent for a moment before he started getting impatient.

"What are you waiting for?" he asked in annoyance.

"I'm waiting for Den Liner to pull in," was her only reply.

Ranma blinked at the name. He had heard it before, he was sure of it. With that in mind he started racking his brain for any kind of information connected to it. As he was thinking, the girl seemed to finally get the time that she wanted and opened the door before pulling Ranma inside with her.

Ranma was broken from his thoughts when he saw that he was in the desert again with the red and white train in front of him.

"Oh," Ranma grinned. "I remember the Den Liner now."

"Good," the girl nodded before pulling Ranma's arm. "Now, come on."

Ranma found himself dragged over to the train before he and the girl came onboard. They entered a passenger car that was mainly empty. Well, it was empty save for two people. The only two people in it were the girl that had given Ranma that coffee the last time he was on board and the other was Momotaros. The only thing was that Momotaros was now solid like the other monster was. He was red from head to toe with red body armor that had black markings on it. On his waist was a belt with a metal peach on it. He was lying back on one of the train seats.

The compartment itself was rather plain. It was mostly white with seats situated around tables on either side of the compartment. Lights hung from the ceiling. At the back of the room was something akin to a bar where the coffee girl was leaning on it with a smile on her face.

"Hi!" the coffee girl smiled and waved when she spied Ranma and his friend. "Welcome back to Den Liner! My name is Naomi. If there's anything you need, don't be afraid to call 'Naomi-chan!'"

"Okay," Ranma nodded before he turned to see Momotaros. "Hey, wait a sec! I didn't make a wish! Why are you solid?"

"It's just the way Den Liner is," Momotaros shrugged as he stood up. "Now if you would just make a wish already I would be solid everywhere!"

"No, Ranma!" the girl cried. "Don't make a wish!"

"Don't worry," Ranma sighed. "I'm not planning to."

"Humph!" Momotaros snorted before leaning back down for a rest.

Ranma shook his head and took a seat across from the girl who had brought him here, "Okay, just who are you and what is going on? Where am I?"

"My name is Hana," the girl now known as Hana replied. "We're on a train called Den Liner. It's the train of time. It has stations in the past, present, and the future."

"A time traveling train? That's cool," Ranma nodded before a thought darkened his mind. "Oh shoot! I don't have a ticket!"

"Oh relax," Hana smiled. "The pass you have to change into Den-O is your ticket. Always good and you can bring anyone you like. Even the Imagin over there."

"Hey!" Momotaros cried as he heard her. "I have a name you know! It's Momotaros!"

"You mentioned that before," Ranma continued. "Just what are Imagin?"

"Imagin are beings from the future who travel to the past to grant wishes," Hana continued. "They do it to go even further back in time so they can change things there so they can change the future."

"How does that get them into the past?" asked Ranma.

"That is the price for the wish," Hana answered. "Your strongest memory. They use that to go back in time to the point the memory happened."

"Woah," Ranma blinked. "So Momotaros and that bull thing we took down are Imagin?"

"Yes," Hana nodded. "They're only really dangerous when they have a wish to grant. They'll do anything to grant it and get to the past."

"I kinda gathered that," Ranma frowned. "But, there's one less Imagin to worry about anyway."

"I wouldn't count on that," Momotaros commented out of the blue, causing Ranma and Hana to turn and face him.

"What do you mean, Imagin?!" Hana spat.

"Spit it out, Momotaros," Ranma frowned warningly.

"Well," Momotaros huffed as he sat up again. "Not all Imagin do this but the smarter ones do. Some of us actually leave a bit of ourselves on the one who made a wish for us. Sort of like a backup body in case something happens to them. Like it did when me and Ranma took that guy out."

"Great," Ranma groaned as he slumped in his seat. "So that bull guy might be back and hunting for Akane by tomorrow."

"Why would they wish for the Imagin to hunt for that girl?" asked Hana.

"Because the one who made the wish is probably a pervert," Ranma growled.

"Eh?" Momotaros blinked.

"When I first came here Akane had to fight a large group of boys who wanted to take her out on a date," Ranma explained. "When I say large I mean pretty much every boy in the school. They wouldn't take no for an answer and figured if they could beat her they could date her."

"What?!" Hana cried.

"No way!" Momotaros gaped.

"It's true." Ranma sighed. "I figure one of those boys had made a wish with that Imagin to have Akane. The problem is that there's so many of them we can't be sure which one made it."

"Maybe there is," Hana pondered. "Generally when people have made a wish on an Imagin, they have a marking. You can see sand falling off them. If that Imagin is still alive then the boy who made the wish will probably still have that mark.

"Well, that makes things easier but it'll have to wait until school tomorrow where I can see them all," Ranma sighed. "I might as well get home anyway. No doubt people are freaking by now. Most won't be freaking about me though."

"Okay," Hana nodded. "Your stop is coming up anyway."

----------------------------------

Kasumi was busy washing a cloth for Ryoga's head after Akane had brought the poor boy home all beaten up and bruised. He was lying down in the living room while Akane was started putting on some bandages for his cuts. She had wanted to make something for him to eat but everyone had convinced her otherwise. So now she was just tending to his wounds.

As she was coming out to the hallway, she heard the front door slide open and saw Ranma step inside. Kasumi could have sworn she saw a train outside but had dismissed it as a trick of the light. Right now she was just relieved that Ranma was home and looked unharmed.

"Oh, Ranma," Kasumi smiled. "I'm glad to see that you aren't hurt. Akane brought Ryoga home and said that you were fighting a bull monster of some kind. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "Me and Momotaros took him down. I'm not sure if he's gone though. I'll explain later."

Kasumi nodded as she and Ranma walked into the living room. Inside was more or less a circus when compared to usual days. Ryoga was on a futon with Akane watching over him. The action made Ranma feel a twinge of sadness at that. She had never really shown any real concern whenever he had gotten hurt. Then again, she was the one who usually inflicted a good portion of those pains. Nabiki was just watching in contemplation of this and the fathers were to the side making their own comments.

"Waaaaah!" Soun cried. "Monsters want to take my baby girl away!"

"That boy of mine had better not lose," Genma grumbled. '_My retirement is at stake!_'

"Waaaaah!" Soun continued to blubber. "My future son-in-law is going to be killed!"

"Everyone," Kasumi called. "Ranma's home."

Everyone's gaze instantly snapped to Kasumi and the pig-tailed martial artist beside her. Instantly, Genam and Soun were on him like ants on a picnic.

"Waaaah! My future son-in-law is alive!" Soun cried.

"Boy! How dare you threaten the future of the schools!?" Genma bellowed.

'_You go through this all the time?_' Momotaros sweat-dropped.

'_Usually several times a day,_' Ranma replied in his thoughts. If he had started talking to himself out loud then people would start thinking he's crazy.

"Can't wait to hear this one, Ranma," Nabiki smiled. She had also noticed that Ranma's sandy friend was missing. Had he made a wish already?

--------------------------------------

It had been a long night for everyone. Akane absolutely refused to leave Ryoga's side while the fathers harped on Ranma for needlessly risking his life and the future of the schools for fighting some monster. Momotaros found this to be very annoying since martial artists were supposed to protect people. Nabiki had remained silent and once everyone had calmed down, she stole Ranma away to press him for details. Ranma had explained what the Imagin were but he absolutely refused to tell her about Den Liner. If she had found out then she would con her way into sharing his pass and ride the train to all sorts of events she could bet on them and strike it rich. Ranma was deeply relieved when he was able to get into his bed and sleep for the night.

He was less than thrilled when he woke up the next morning. His body was aching in a lot of places. He hadn't felt this sore since those times he fought Herb and Saffron.

'_What's wrong?_' asked Momotaros.

'_My body is full of aches, that's what,_' Ranma replied groggily. '_It almost hurts to move! That guy was tougher than I thought._'

'_Oh,_' Momotaros replied. '_Then why don't you let me take over? I'm bored just sitting around here on Den Liner._'

'_Fine,_' Ranma sighed, not wanting to argue. '_Just don't do anything to make me look stupid._'

'_Promise,_' Momotaros replied.

The image of Momotaros appeared again before combining with Ranma's body. His eyes turned red and the red streak of hair appeared before it was all slicked back. Ranma Red leaped from his bed with a grin on his face. He felt fresh and ready for the day. He glanced over to the sleeping form of Genma and snickered. It was time for a little payback.

The Tendo's were all beginning breakfast when it happened. Genma's cry of surprise that ripped through the air before something splashed into the koi pond. Soun and his daughters looked out to see a soggy panda getting out of the pond.

"**Ungrateful Boy!**" the angry panda signed.

That was when Ranma Red came into the room looking pretty smug in a red Chinese shirt as he took a seat at the table and secured portions of food for himself. Nabiki's eyes narrowed when she noticed the new hairstyle and the red streak in his hair. Kasumi just smiled and said her good mornings before continuing to eat.

Genma just slogged his way in and plopped down next to Ranma Red before beginning his own breakfast. Not five minutes in he tried to steal some more portions from his son. He didn't get even close before he found his chopsticks caught between Ranma Red's.

"There's more than enough food old man," Ranma Red growled. "Get your own!"

That was enough for Nabiki. This kind of change didn't happen overnight and hearing Ranma Red's voice just proved it to her. Something was up and she was going to find out what. She would have to do it when he was alone though. If she mentioned that something was up then all the fiancées and rivals would be up in arms trying to use the change to their advantage.

"**Foolish Boy!**" Genma signed. "**How are you (flip) supposed to stay sharp (flip) if I don't try to steal (flip) your food!**"

"Oh, I don't know," Ranma Red snorted in amusement. "How about those rivals that seem to leap out of nowhere and those fiancées that you can't seem to stop setting up for me? The way they pop out of the woodwork I have to stay sharp."

Nabiki smirked slightly. Whatever had changed in Ranma, it might be one that **s****he** could profit from. He was more confrontational it seemed but he wasn't going to take anyone's smack lying down. The normal Ranma would just grumble about his father's rants and ignore him. Ranma Red just seemed to send smack right back at him.

What not even the real Ranma knew was that the longer Momotaros stayed with him, the more things he would learn about him. It was how he knew Ranma's name when they first met and he was slowly seeing Ranma's memories from the most recent to the oldest in that order. After one night, he had gotten the basic gist of Ranma's life. Usually it revolved around fighting so he didn't pay much attention to it.

Nabiki finished her meal and decided to get her answers, "Well, we'd better get to school, Ranma."

"Huh?" Ranma Red blinked.

"But I'm not done yet!" Akane cried.

"No problem," Nabiki smiled. "I need Ranma to help me out with a few things anyway."

Not even waiting for an answer, Nabiki gripped Ranma Red's arm before dragging him out of the house while snatching their backpacks. Ranma Red was protesting the whole way but she didn't really listen to what he had to say. After a while she stopped and turned to face him.

"Who are you?" she asked coldly.

"Huh?" Ranma Red shivered. "Nabiki, it's me Ranma."

"I don't think so," Nabiki frowned. "The Ranma I know would have gotten thrown into the koi pond, not him throwing his father in. He also would have gotten into a war with his father over food instead or just ending it. Not to mention he wouldn't have started talking back to his father unless it was really stupid. Your hair is also way different from his. So, just who are you?"

"Guh," Ranma Red sighed in defeat. "You know me. Momotaros."

Whatever the answer was that Nabiki had been expecting, this was not it, "Come again? You possessed Ranma?"

"Not by force," Ranma Red frowned. "His body was aching after he fought that Imagin yesterday so I offered to take over while he rested."

"Hmm," Nabiki frowned. "Well, you do sound like Momotaros when I think about it. Since you were a spirit when I last saw you, possession wouldn't be too far of a stretch. So, what are you going to do with Ranma's body?"

"Dunno," Ranma Red shrugged. "Go to school and stuff I guess. What else does Ranma do?"

"You'd be surprised," Nabiki smirked.

With a shrug from Nabiki, she and Ranma Red started going on the road to the school. While they were walking, Nabiki spied a familiar face that had appeared in Ranma's life and was no end of amusement for her.

SPLASH! The old lady with the ladle strikes again.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Ranam Red screeched.

This little exclamation was not caused by the sudden splash of cold water. It was more for the sudden shift in gender that Ranma Red had experienced. She was currently looking down at herself in shock. Her hair was now a universal red and the streak that could be seen in her male form was now invisible. Her eyes were still a bright red.

"What happened?!" Ranme Red cried, still examining her new breasts. She didn't seem to notice that her voice had changed to more feminine one to match the body.

"That would be Ranma's curse," Nabiki snickered, loving the sight of the Imagin freaking out like he/she was.

"This is the curse everyone else was talking about?!" Ranma Red shrieked. "He turns into a girl? How the hell does that happen?!"

"He changes into a girl when he gets splashed with cold water," Nabiki smiled, feeling generous. "You're in luck since hot water can change him back. As for why? You'll just have to get Ranma to tell you sometime."

"I need hot water!" Ranma Red cried as she slicked back her hair again. "Now!"

"Oh, I'll get it," Nabiki replied, her face turning serious. "For information."

"What information?!" Ranma Red cried, almost bowing at Nabiki's feet in desperation. "Anything!"

"Why was that Imagin hunting my little sister?" Nabiki asked clearly.

"Okay," Ranma Red sighed. "We think that some boy made a wish to make her his. The only problem is..."

"There are so many boys in school who would make that wish," Nabiki finished with a frown. "Crap. Is there any way to tell if someone had made a wish?"

"Uhh," Ranma Red pondered. "Usually a person who made a wish on an Imagin sometimes leave a trail of sand or it can be seen falling off their bodies. It sorta lets other Imagin know that the person is taken. I think."

"You think?" Nabiki asked.

"I've never seen that sort of thing before!" Ranma Red huffed. "I haven't even been able to grant a wish! Can I get that hot water now?"

"Alright," Nabiki snickered. "Follow me."

After a hurried stop at Dr. Tofu's, Nabiki didn't want him to see Ranma Red, fearful that he might be able to tell the difference between Ranma and Momotaros, they were arriving at the school grounds. Ranma Red was looking at his surroundings before someone had captured his attention.

"Hold, foul sorcerer!" came the loud and pompous voice of Kuno. "I see you have placed your foul magics on Nabiki Tendo today!"

"Who's this weirdo?" Ranma Red asked Nabiki.

"Tatewaki Kuno," Nabiki sighed. "He hates Ranma because he thinks he's keeping my sister from proclaiming her love for him. He is also in love with Ranma's girl side, despite seeing the curse for himself."

"What a moron," Ranma Red snickered. "Ah, he's below me. Not even a challenge, especially in Ranma's body."

"You got that right," Nabiki smiled. "Ranma could put him down in seconds flat. Care to try and beat that?"

"Don't mind if I do," Ranma Red smiled as he stepped forward to face Kuno. "C'mon, Kuno! Give me your best shot!"

"That I shall!" Kuno cried. "And I shall release my loves from your vile clutches!"

"Does everyone here talk more than fight?" Ranma Red sighed. "Sheesh!"

Both opponents charged to fight and met in the middle of the area. Kuno used a wide slash before Ranma Red used a fierce uppercut on the delusional kendoist. Kuno was stumbling backwards, trying to recover from the rather aggressive assault. Ranma Red just pushed his advantage and began laying punches into his gut, forcing the wind out of Kuno. With a vicious smirk on his face, Ranm Red used a powerful haymaker which sent Kuno to the ground and skidding a few feet away.

"That didn't hurt," he mumbled before passing out.

"Heh," Ranma Red smirked.

"Not bad," Nabiki smirked from behind him. "You took Kuno out in close to eight seconds. Again, not bad, but Ranma's managed it in close to three."

"Aww, come on!" Ranma Red growled. "Three seconds?!"

"Yeah," Nabiki nodded. "You did get me a tidy sum today. Everyone was betting for less than what you got."

"I'm...happy for you?" Ranma Red blinked.

"That's a good boy," Nabiki smiled while patting his shoulder. "Now come on. I've got some business to deal with and having a tough guy like you might help with the intimidation factor."

"Uh...okay," Ranma Red frowned in confusion.

The day seemed to progress from there. Ranma Red stumbled through his classes and fell asleep for half of them. Luckily no one seemed to notice the difference. Strangely enough, no one seemed to either notice, talk, or even care about his new hairstyle and the red streak in it. It was when lunch rolled around that Ranma Red seemed to wake up again.

"-Yawn- Are classes supposed to be this boring?" he asked Nabiki as they headed to collect some debts.

"Ranma asks that question now and then," Nabiki answered. "I think it is to guys like you. More action than thought."

"Hey!" Ranma Red growled.

"Ranchan!" a new voice called. Nabiki and Ranma Red turned to face someone with a large spatula on their back. Ranma Red blinked at the sight. Nabiki saw his confused expression and realized that if Ranma Red didn't know her name then things might get a little wild with fiancées accusing everyone else of messing with 'their' man.

"Her name is Ukyo Kuonji," Nabiki quickly explained in a whisper. "She and Ranma were friends when they were six. He calls her Ucchan. She's one of Ranma's fiancées. His dad got them engaged when they were six before ditching her and stealing the dowry. She's determined to marry him."

"Isn't Akane his fiancée?" Ranma Red asked, confused.

"Yep," Nabiki sighed. "Ranma's father got him engaged to multiple girls for food whenever he was going hungry. There are other fiancées so try to keep it together."

"Ranchan!" Ukyo smiled as she came up to the two. "I heard that you fought a monster yesterday? Are you okay?"

"Oh yeah!" Ranma Red smirked. "I took that thing down!"

"That's good," Ukyo sighed in relief. "Hey, how 'bout I whip you up a special okonomiyaki?"

"Uh...okay," Ranma Red nodded, looking forward to something besides coffee, not that Naomi's coffee wasn't that bad at all.

Ukyo instantly whipped out a portable grill and set to work. Ranma Red blinked at the sudden appearance at the equipment but with him spending the night on the train of time, he didn't think it was all that strange. Well, not very strange anyway. Ukyo and Nabiki didn't seem to see this as anything odd so they just continued on with what they were doing. After a couple of minutes, Ukyo decked out the okonomiyaki with toppings before making a heart with the sauce and tossing it to Ranma Red.

"Uh...thanks," Ranma Red nodded before digging in. He had to admit it was pretty good. He had never had anything like this before. "Hey, this is pretty good."

"Thanks, Ranchan!" Ukyo smiled, though still disappointed that he didn't notice the love message she put on it.

As he was munching away, a bell rang before a bike seemed to drop out of nowhere and crash right on top of Ranma Red. On the bike was none other than the bubbly Amazon Shampoo with an order of ramen that she had no doubt made for Ranma.

"Nihao, Airen!" she greeted brightly.

"GET OFF ME!" Ranma Red shouted angrily, lifting the bike off his back and getting out from under it.

This caused a pause for Ukyo and Shampoo. They hadn't seen Ranma this upset...ever! He stood up on his feet and he looked like he was seething mad, "Just what is the big idea in dropping a bike on me?!"

"Shampoo just come to see Airen and give too too good ramen," Shampoo replied while holding up the box from the cat cafe.

"Hnnn," Ranma Red sighed, simmering slightly. "Well, next time try not to use me for a parking space."

"Okee-dokey!" Shampoo smiled. "Airen want ramen?"

"Sure," Ranma Red shrugged.

'_You are instigating a disaster, Momotaros_,' Nabiki smirked to herself.

"Aiyah!" Shampoo cried in delight. "Arien want ramen! Shampoo so happy!"

Next came the usual super glomp that accompanied every time Ranma had said something that made her happy. Frankly it was like clockwork on what happened next.

"Get off my Ranchan, you hussy!" Ukyo cried while grabbing her battle spatula.

"Ranma is Shampoo's Airen!" Shampoo frowned as she gripped even tighter, threatening to cut off Ranma Red's air supply.

Ukyo just leaped into the fray and grabbed a hold of Ranma Red, trying to pry Shampoo off of him and get a grip of her own. It was a game of tug-or-war with Ranma being the one filling the role of the rope. Only, there wasn't any tugging, more like squeezing and attempts to pry the other competitor off of their rope. Nabiki knew that Ranma would try to persevere through this but Momotaros was in charge right now. She could only sit back and see how the Imagin in Ranma's body will react.

"LET GO OF ME!" Ranma Red bellowed, actually cowing Shampoo and Ukyo off of him. Both girls blinked in surprise at him. What was going on with Ranma today?

"What is up with the two of you?" he asked incrediously. "I am not some kind of toy!"

"Ranchan!" Ukyo cried. "I was only trying to get Shampoo off of you!"

"Aiyah!" Shampoo cried. "Shampoo just trying greet Airen like proper wife!"

"Oh come on!" Ranma Red growled. "You two were too busy clawing your eyes out to even notice me! I was the battle field to you two!"

The three women were rather surprised to see a red aura flicker slightly. Nabiki realized that Momotaros was now angry and if the way he would blow up when they suggested his name or when Ranma teased him was any hint, then something like the usual fights over Ranma would really tick him off. Being crammed into a compartment on Den Liner and now being crammed between two fighting girls did not help his temper at all. Neither did all the coffee he drank while he was bored.

"Airen hate Shampoo?" the busty Amazon sniffled, hoping for the hurt feelings card would work.

"I thought you liked my Ranchan," Ukyo frowned. "I'm the cute fiancée!"

"Guhh!" Ranma Red grimaced. "No, I don't hate you!"

"Aiyah!" Shampoo smiled before glomping Ranma Red. "Shampoo so happy!"

"Hey!" Ukyo frowned, aiming to remove Shampoo from 'her' fiancée.

Nabiki just shook her head at the spectacle. It seemed like Momotaros was just as bad with a girl's feeling getting hurt as Ranma was. To his credit though, he didn't seem to take the fiancées fighting over him lying down. He took an active part in the fight, actually telling them to give it a rest. Of course, things did not improve much when Akane had finally tracked him down.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" she shrieked when she saw the the situation.

Ranma Red had turned to see who was shouting while Ukyo and Shampoo were still in the middle of their fight. What he saw was a mallet coming down on him. Nabiki had been expecting half-expecting a replay of all the other misunderstandings that Akane had blamed Ranma for. What she got was something entirely different.

THUMP!

The fight between Ukyo and Shampoo halted when they heard the noise, expecting to see Ranma Red either in a crater or flying through the air. What they saw made them stare in shock. Even Nabiki was somewhat surprised and she knew that it was Momotaros who was in charge. Ranma Red had caught the mallet in both hands. He had a hard stare leveled at Akane.

"What did I do to deserve that?" Ranma Red asked angrily.

"You pervert!" Akane shouted. "You're just letting these floozies hang off you!"

"Hang off me?!" Ranma Red gaped. "Why do you think I let them hang off me?!"

"Because you won't tell them to take a hike!" Akane shot back.

"What makes you think they'd listen!?" Ranma Red argued. "I told them to stop fighting and they still go at it!"

"You don't even try to get rid of them!" Akane yelled. "You just want all sorts of girls fawning over you!"

"You call fighting over me with dangerous weapons fawning?" Ranma Red asked incredulously.

"You just love the attention and you know it!" Akane shouted back.

"That's big talk coming from you, brat!" Ranma Red growled.

The area went silent at that. Shampoo and Ukyo actually gasped at the insult. Akane seemed to start trembling from the insult. Ranma Red let go of the mallet and took a step back. Akane just started trembling while an aura of anger appeared around her. What happened next was predictable.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane shrieked at the top of her lungs before swinging her mallet with all her strength. Ranma Red easily dodged it before it whizzed past him and hit the ground. Akane just still glared at him with anger-filled eyes. "I HATE YOU!"

Akane then ran from the area while Ranma just walked an opposite way. Both Shampoo and Ukyo were both amazed at what they had seen. Ranma had stood up to Akane's accusations and insults. Not only that, he even avoided her abuse. The next thoughts that had entered their minds was that they might have just witnessed their best chance at Ranma to date just appear before them. All they had to do was seize it and they would get their man.

Nabiki had found Ranma Red leaning on the wall surrounding Furinkan. She had tried looking for Akane but the girl could hide herself if she wanted to. All that was left was to see what Ranma Red was doing. That led to now.

"Usually I'd make life hell for you financially for what you said to my sister," Nabiki said with a deep frown. "I won't because I know you don't have any money and despite Ranma having some, I won't because he doesn't go as far as you did. I'd like an explanation."

"She ticked me off," Ranma Red growled. "I've seen a few of Ranma's memories about her and I can say I don't like her."

"I suppose arguments would come from that," Nabiki reasoned. "How about the brat comment? Ranma has only made her cry only once or twice and that was stuff he said due to stupidity. You on the other hand made her cry because of something directly meant as an insult. I consider that a good reason to have you exorcised."

"Have we seen the same Ranma and Akane?" Ranma Red asked. "Sure Ranma insults her a lot but nothing that deserves him to be hit. It's like I'm watching a five-year old. She insults people, she thinks boys are gross, she yells at the top of her lungs, she gets coddled by her father all the time. What am I supposed to treat her like?"

"Well," Nabiki sighed. "Daddy is just like that because he cares."

"I kinda see things objectively Nabiki," Ranma Red frowned. "I just met Ranma yesterday so I'm not going to argue for him or against him. I still think he's an idiot for not using the wish I'm giving him. I also think that your father is spoiling her because he wants to try and force her to get married. He'd do so many things for her she'd feel obligated to go through on the engagement. I say let her find her own fiancée!"

Nabiki frowned in contemplation. That was some observation on his part. She also hadn't thought of it that way either. Sure, she didn't like all the attention Akane got from her father when her little sister started learning martial arts. After her mother died the man just stopped doing a whole lot of things. Nowadays it seemed he would do anything to try and get Akane and Ranma hitched, even try to intimidate Ranma into doing it now and then with that Demon Head move of his. He was still her father and a good man. It was just that he was emotional and gullible. That sort of combo would make him do a lot of things if he was motivated by something he cared about.

"Don't get me wrong," Ranma Red huffed. "Your dad probably is doing it for the future of the dojo and at least trying to make sure that his daughter is taken care of. He just can't seem to see that Ranma and Akane just can't get along, especially when he and that idiot Genma are trying to force them together. No matter how much they say otherwise they just won't listen."

Nabiki nodded. She'd seen it enough times to know that the engagement was not going to work out despite what her father said numerous times. It was not a phase and it was not just a spat now and then. It definitely wasn't going to be true love eventually. It seemed that her father thought arguing was a major part of a relationship. Sure fights would happen now and then but not almost every time they saw each other. It made the middle Tendo daughter wonder if her parents fought like that if her father was so sure it was true love.

"Okay," Nabiki nodded. "I'll give you that. I still don't think that the brat comment was needed but that's your opinion. I don't like it but I can't change it. You do realize that no matter how logical the explanation you give, mine and Ranma's father will give him hell for it. All that about 'how dare you make my little girl cry' and 'as an apology you will marry her right away' and the like."

"Heh," Ranma Red smirked. "Like they could take me on my worst day. I can take whatever they throw at me. A real man doesn't back down from anything!"

Nabiki smirked slightly. At least the Imagin houseguest was taken care of. He was sounding like himself again. The only thing left that worried her was Akane. They still had to find her and get her to calm down a little. Maybe this will be the wake-up call she needed to see that Ranma wasn't going to stand for her actions forever. Even if it wasn't Ranma who was in charge at the time.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gosunkugi sat at the top of the school. There were a few people around but they didn't notice him. No one every really did except for Saotome whenever he felt that Gosunkugi was trying to get photos of him for a weakness or of Akane. The reason for his depression wasn't this little fact. It was the fact that fortune had smiled on him and it looked like he was going to get his wish of finally making Akane Tendo his. Only when the...whatever it was, went to actually get Akane, first that lost guy Ryoga got in the way and then Saotome himself got involved. After that, Gosunkugi felt his wish go down the tubes when his wishbringer was destroyed.

"Life is so cruel," he muttered sadly to himself. "I was so close!"

What was that armor that Saotome had used anyway? At first it seemed a little plain but then it went red and he seemed to become a different person. The Saotome he knew never fought with a weapon unless he had to but instead, he actually used a sword to destroy the wish-bringer. How odd.

While Gosunkugi sat in his depression, people actually started to notice him. It wasn't for any kind of personal aspect of him. No, it was because of the sand that was falling from his sleeves, jacket, anywhere where it could come out, it did. It quickly started piling up as people stared with a sense of growing fear.

From the sand a figure started to rise. It was human-shaped but there was no more detail than that. It reached up with a sandy arm and touched the back of Gosunkugi's head. The depressed boy didn't seem to notice but some kind of energy seemed to come from him and into the sand creature. Soon, details began to form as the sand took on a more definite shape. From sand, strong limbs, not to mention a metal one, formed. Legs stepped out of the sand while a horned head with red eyes appeared from the amorphous blob that had passed for a head. When he was fully formed again, the Imagin pulled his fingers out from Gosunkugi's head. There was no mark left behind but the boy seemed a little drained of energy. Everyone else was gaping widely at what they were seeing. A few people with common sense above the norm of Nerima had run.

"To make Akane Tendo yours," the Imagin spoke, making Gosunkugi turn around in shock. "I will grant that wish!"

Gosunkugi watched the monster leap off the top of the roof while the other students decided to make tracks before the monster would come back. Gosunkugi just watched it go with a widening smile on his face.

"Wishes can come true!"

-------------------------------------------

Ranma Red's eyes suddenly snapped open. Nabiki noticed the sudden change in his eyes.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Imagin," Ranma Red hissed. "It's here!"

"Imagin?" Nabiki gasped. "Oh no! Akane!"

"I'm on it!" Ranma Red nodded as he dashed back towards the school.

--------------------------------------------

Akane sat weeping against one off the back wall of the school. She just couldn't understand why Ranma was being so mean to her. After a year being engaged to each other, why was he still mean to her? After all they had been through and he still kept insulting her. Why couldn't he just be nice? They were engaged for crying out loud!

'_Maybe if you were a little nicer to him,_' a voice in the back of her mind spoke.

"I did all those things for him!" Akane sobbed. "All the times I got him hot water! All the times I helped him dodge his mother! All the times I was worried about him!"

'_And all the things he did for you?_' the voice asked. '_He protected you from perverts. He helped you when you needed him. He even killed a phoenix god for you!_ _How do you thank him? You accuse him of being a pervert and hit him._'

"If he'd stop letting those floozies hang around I wouldn't hit him as much!" Akane growled.

'_He was right though,_' the voice shot back. '_Would they listen?_'

Akane frowned as she just lay her hands on her head and shook it violently. She didn't want to listen and she didn't want to deal with Ranma. She didn't want to deal with any stupid engagements no matter how much her father and Ranma's father would insist otherwise. She didn't want to deal with anyone at the moment. She just wanted to be alone and stew for a while.

A loud thump caught her attention. Not even looking she just started shouting, "Go away!"

"I will grant my contractors wish," a strange voice replied. "You are what he wishes for, Akane Tendo."

"Wh-what?!" Akane cried, standing up and seeing who was talking, only to feel her blood turn to ice. What she was finding herself looking at was a large bull-man with a metal arm. She was used to seeing magic and such but nothing like this. This was a real monster!

"I **will** grant my contractors wish!" the monster growled before charging forward.

----------------------------------------------

Akane's scream cut though the air and caught Nabiki and Ranma Red's attention. Both of them raced to the source, hoping that she was alright.

"It had better be the same Imagin," Ranma Red frowned. "If another one of the pervs here wished for Akane then I'm going to go postal on all of them!"

"I'll help," Nabiki added.

Both of them were running to the side of the school and around a corner. What they saw was something that made Ranma Red growl angrily and Nabiki finally feel fear for once in a very long time. The Imagin was standing tall with an unconscious Akane slung over his shoulder.

"Let her go!" Ranma Red yelled angrily.

"I need her to grant my contractors wish," the Imagin replied coldly. "What happens after is none of my concern."

With a snort, the Imagin took a flying leap straight up. Nabiki and Ranma Red looked up as he went. With a snarl, Ranma Red followed him with his own souped-up leap.

'_Ranma! Wake up!_' Ranma Red called.

'_Zzzzz..Huh? Wha?_' Ranma snorted as he came to conciousness.

'_It's that Imagin again!_' Ranma Red explained. '_I need you to wake up!_'

'_Again?!_' Ranma sighed.

'_He's got Akane!_' Ranma Red shouted back. '_He's taking her back to the guy who made the wish in the first place!_'

'_WHAT?!_' Ranma cried. '_Okay, I did swear I'd kick the guy's ass to the moon didn't I?_'

'_That's what I woke you up for_,' Ranma Red smirked.

When Ranma had landed on the celing of the school, it was Ranma back in control again with his hair back in a normal style with stormy blue eyes. He eyes took in the scene before himThe Imagin had just finished laying down Akane on the floor in front of the soon-to-be-dead perv who had wished for her. He felt very little surprise when he saw who it was.

"Gosunkugi," Ranma growled. "I shoulda' known you would do something like this."

"Too late, Saotome!" Gosunkugi laughed. "Akane's mine now!"

"Our contract is complete," the Imagin spoke. "Now I will take what I desire in return.

"Huh?" Gosunkugi blinked. "Wait! I still have more wishes!"

"Sorry," The Imagin laughed as it stepped closer to Gosunkugi. "One wish per customer."

The Imagin made a gesture with its hands, spreading them apart. Gosunkugi then seemed to split in half and the two parts spread apart to reveal a green portal of some kind. The monster then stepped through it before Gosunkugi came back together again and fell on his butt.

"Oooh," he groaned. "That didn't feel too good."

That was when Akane began to stir as she got back up again. Gosunkugi looked at her expectantly while Ranma stepped closer to make sure that she was okay.

"What happened?" she asked. "Where's that monster?"

"Don't worry, my love," Gosunkugi smiled as he scooted closer to her. "What matters is that we're together."

"What?!" Akane cried, getting up. "Gosunkugi, what are you talking about?"

"My wish," Gosunkugi blinked. "Aren't you in love with me?"

"Of course I'm not," Akane frowned. "We hardly speak to each other all the time. I've ever only really seen you when you pull all sorts of tricks on Ranma!"

"B-b-but I wished to make you mine," Gosunkugi whimpered. "I wished for it."

"He did make her yours," a new female voice spoke.

Everyone looked to see a new woman walking towards them with a frown on her face. Ranma easily recognized her as Hana. She took one look at Gosunkugi and her frown intensified somewhat.

"Imagin take the easiest route when granting a wish," Hana explained. "To make yours come true he just picked up Akane and gave her to you, thus making her yours and completing the contract. Now he's free to go into the past and do whatever he wants."

Reaching into her pocket, Hana drew some kind of ticket before she held it against Gosunkugi's head. As it touched him, the ticket suddenly revealed a picture of the Imagin that had traveled through along with a date. September 12. 2006.

"Hey," Ranma frowned. "That's about a month before me and Pops came to the Tendo Dojo."

"This is his strongest memory," Hana commented before turning to Gosunkugi. "Okay kid, what happened on September twelfth, two thousand and six?"

"Ahhh," Gosunkugi sighed. "That was the day I met Akane."

---------------------**September 12 2006**-----------------------------

_It was yet another day at Furinkan high school. Nabiki was setting up betting pools for the impending fight between Akane and the hentai horde. It had been happening between them for a couple of days now. Ever since Akane had turned Kuno down on his request for a date involving roses, poetry, and a massive butt-kicking when he tried to hug her. Nabiki was quick to pick up the betting possibilities._

_Gosunkugi was sick for a couple of days so when he finally came to school, the fights had already started up. He was just coming from the back entrance when he started hearing crashes and yells._

_"Akane I love you!"_

_"Please go out with me!"_

_"I do this for you Akane!"_

_Now curious, and hoping that his ability to be unnoticed in case of war would come in handy, he made his way to the centre of the chaos. Godunkugi's eyes widened when he saw the carnage. All around were boys that were all knocked out on the ground. They looked like they had all come from the various sports clubs and he even saw a few guys from the chemistry club. At the centre of it was a goddess of beauty. She was breathing heavily but looked none the worse for wear. She sighed before walking back towards the school_

_Gosunkugi could only watch her go, in a daze. _

_"She's so beautiful," he muttered to himself. Quickly getting an idea, Gosunkugi pulled out a camera he had brought along since his mother had wanted him to take pictures during his day so she could see what his school was like. Acting quickly, he started snapping pictures of the girl. He stopped as she entered the building. _

_"I'm in love," Gosunkugi gulped in awe._

----------------------**Present**-----------------------------------------

"That long?" Akane blinked. It felt a little creepy to know she had been admired silently by the Gosunkugi for that long.

"Okay," Hana sighed as she stood up and handed the ticket to Ranma. "You'll need this to get to that time Ranma. Your pass is only good for riding Den Liner."

Ranma hesitantly took the ticket and pulled out his pass. He had discovered that it had opened up while he was explaining what had happened to Nabiki the night before. He had been a little confused as to what the clear section had been for but it all came together now. Slipping the ticket inside, Ranma snapped his pass shut.

"Let's do this," Ranma smirked as he and Hana started heading for the door.

"Ranma!" Akane shouted. "What's going on?"

"Ask Nabiki!" Ranma shouted back before he and Hana exited through the door.

----------------------------**September 12 2006**--------------------------

Furinkan seemed at peace as far as things there went. Akane had just finished beating up the hentai horde and was on her was just finishing up with Kuno. She was breathing slightly hard from the exertion. From his corner, and well hidden, Gosunkugi was starting to snap pictures of her. Everything seemed to be going on track until sand started to fall from his body. It quickly piled until it formed the Imagin that Gosunkugi would make a deal with in the future.

"Gaaaaahhh!" Gosunkugi screamed in terror as he started running for his life. The Imagin summoned his sword and started racing out into the open.

Akane had thought at first that there was one last boy who had wanted to fight her for a date, but that idea quickly died when she saw the monster that was following him. Now, she wasn't really sure what to do at this point. That was when she remembered that she had a duty as a martial artist to defend the weak. So, dashing forward, she grabbed Gosunkugi by the shirt and pulled him behind her. She took a stance as the monster kept charging at her.

It took a wide swing at her and she dodged the attack. Gosunkugi cried in fear before he backed up. Akane tried punching but only found herself getting her hand nearly broken from how tough the monster's skin was.

"Ow!" she cried in pain as she drew back from the monster.

"Pathetic," the monster growled as it raised its arm, ready to slice her in two.

The monster was about to strike when something started going off in a rather odd tune. In the next moment, a train sped out of nowhere and raced right past right past them. When it was gone, there was someone who had apparently gotten off of it. Akane didn't recognize him but the monster apparently did.

"You again," it growled dangerously.

"Me again," Ranma smirked. "Akane, take Gosunkugi and run."

"Wait, how do you know our names?" Akane asked with a confused frown.

"Just go," Ranma insisted. "You need to get Gosunkugi outta here."

Akane frowned slightly, but she had to admit that this boy was right. Gosunkugi wasn't a fighter and the monster would tear him to shreds. Grabbing Gosunkugi's arm, she started dragging him into the building. Of course, the dragging part was brought on when he fainted at her touch.

Up above, Nabiki had breathed a sigh of relief seeing that her sister was back inside and safe from whatever that thing was outside. Now though, she had something to do.

"Place your bets everyone!" she called. "Monster versus Mysterious Stranger! Place your bets!"

At the edge of the schoolyard a man was leaning against the wall. He was in a brown trench coat and a brown hat. He was holding a pocket watch and checking the time.

"How many times am I going to have to put up with you?" The Imagin growled as it readied for another fight.

"Until I take you down," Ranma smirked as he summoned his belt and wrapped it around his waist. "You ready, Momotaros?"

'_I was born ready!_' the red Imagin grinned from his spot on Den Liner.

"Good," Ranma smirked as he pressed the red button, bringing up Den Liner's tune and turning the insignia red. "Henshin!"

Ranma swiped the pass over his buckle, "**Sword Form!**"

The students were all shocked to see this new guy suddenly appear in a black, gray, and white suit of armor. It was there only for a second before red armor appeared over his body. A metal peach appeared over his head before changing into a split visor.

"Ore Sanjou!" Den-O SF called as he struck a battle pose.

"I'll destroy you once and for all!" the Imagin growled as he charged forward.

"Don't you ever get enough?" Den-O SF sighed as he drew two of his four weapon parts, combining them before throwing them up into the air. He ducked underneath the sword strike before using a roundhouse kick to knock the Imagin away. Drawing his last two weapon pieces, he caught the airborne one between the two and his sword blade appeared.

Den-O SF and the Imagin charged at each other in a flurry of weapon strikes that made sparks fly from the impact. The battle moved past a tree and the Imagin missed his target, accidentally chopping the tree down.

------------------**Present**------------------------

Nabiki had walked around to the front of the school, hoping to get to the roof to see if her sister was alright. She was walking because she didn't want to look suspicious and end up making half the school follow her because they loved to see a good fight or just about anything besides class.

Sudden cries of surprise caught her attention and she turned to see just what had happened. What she saw was one of the trees on the property suddenly fall over. Students crowded around the fallen tree. Nabiki spied the bottom of it and noticed that it looked like some sort of sword had done it. Kuno was the only one in the school who was capable of doing this but he was still in his classroom. Shampoo had already left and Ukyo didn't have the skill for that sort of thing. How did it happen?

"I have bad feeling about this," she muttered to herself.

-------------**September 12 2006-------------**--------

Meanwhile, the Imagin and Den-O SF continued their battle. In all, it was lucky that the schoolyard was as big as it was. Otherwise, the students who Akane had knocked out would most likely have gotten hurt and lots of property damage would have ensued.

"Raagh!" the Imagin bellowed as it continued to slash.

"Heh," Den-O SF laughed. "I am at my climax! Now I'm going to end this!"

Kicking the Imagin back, Den-O SF used an overhead strike. The Imagin raised it's sword to block, but Den-O SF's weapon smashed straight through it a haze of red energy. The Imagin stumbled backwards from the force of the blow. Den-O SF added a slash that went across the Imagin's chest, making it sumble back further before falling on it's back.

"Since you're such a tough guy," Den-O SF spoke as he drew his pass. "I'll treat you to a second helping of my hissatsu attack!"

He swiped the pass in front of his belt, causing it to star flashing, "**Full Charge!**"

Red streams of energy came from the belt and into the sword blade. The powerful steel started glowing bright red before it came off the main weapon and flew into the air. The Imagin was just able to get to his feet before Den-O SF made his first strike, which caused the blade to tear through it in a diagonal strike. It bellowed in pain before a diagonal strike from the opposite side hit him. Den-O SF finished it with a vertical strike that went straight through the middle, ending in an explosion.

"And stay down," Den-O SF sighed.

'_He'd better stay down,_' Ranma commented.

Den-O SF was about to turn and call Den Liner again when a bellow erupted from the flames of the Imagin. Turning around, he saw sand erupting from the flames, becoming the Imagin for a split second before it exploded into an even bigger form that looked like a giant cyber bull with bits of flesh sticking out.

It had now turned into a Gigandeath.

"Kuso!" Den-O SF cursed before the bull Gigandeath started shooting missiles from its horns.

He dodged the explosions brought on by the attacks which left craters in the yard. As he got clear of the last one, he began to hear Den Liner's tune again. Looking forward, he saw the familiar red and white train coming towards the scene of the battle again. It was different than last time though. It only had the front car and three more cars behind it.

"Alright!" Den-O SF cheered before he leaped towards the front car and through the open front window.

When he was safely inside, he spied a white motorcycle with spoilers on it. Quickly taking a seat, he slipped his pass inside a compartment between the handlebars and revved the engine to life.

'_What are you doing?_' asked Ranma. '_I don't know how to ride a motorcycle!_'

"Relax," Den-O SF replied. "I do and I know how to work it. That woman showed me while I was hanging out on Den Liner yesterday," He finished the explanation by flipping open a small flap which revealed a button and pressed it.

Outside, the four train cars began to change. The first one opened up to reveal laser blasters. A huge section on the second detached from the main body and turned to face the Gigandeath. It looked something like a dog's head. The side and top of the third car opened to reveal something like a monkey with two large red balls in its hand. The final car opened to show a launching platform with a projectile similar to a bird of some kind on it.

"Here's the real climax!" Den-O SF laughed as he pulled back on the handlebars, causing Den Liner to go airborne with tracks still appearing in front of it.

The bull bellowed as it continued to try and shoot down Den Liner. The large train was proving surprisingly agile as it avoided the attacks. It didn't go near the school though. It wouldn't be good for those inside if lasers and missiles started hitting the building. As Den Liner started going straight again, Den-O SF pressed another button on the motorcycle. This began a barrage of lasers from the first car, missiles from the dog's mouth, another barrage of exploding balls from the monkey, and launched the bird as it pounded itself on the bull's body.

The bull bellowed as it continued to try and shoot Den Liner down but the bird had broken its horns. The exploding balls and missiles just continued to lay on the pain. The Gigandeath's body began to deteriorate until it gave one last agonized cry before exploding in a haze of flames and heat.

'_Is it gone yet?_' Ranma asked, hoping that it was finally over.

"It had better be," Den-O SF grumbled.

Outside, the students of Furinkan were cheering to see that the stranger had won the fight. Lots of the otaku in the school were cheering like there was no tomorrow. The fight had been something out of a Tokusatsu series. Nabiki tabulated the bets she had gotten and was surprised that most of the people had betted on the monster to win. She grinned in delight when she saw him change to that suit of armor with the red sections on it. That had made people regret betting against him.

As the train vanished into some kind of portal, one of Nabiki's lackeys raced up to her.

"Hey, boss!" she grinned. "I got pictures of the entire battle! I think Hitomi managed to get it on video too."

"Good," Nabiki nodded. "I want all of it. I think its best we hold onto this for a special occasion. You never know when an upset might hurt us. I heard those supernatural shows shell out big money for this sort of thing."

---------------**Present**-------------------------------

Ranma had returned to school in control of his body again and the day had returned to normal. When they had arrived home, Nabiki had wanted all the answers for what had happened. Akane was a little quieter when she got home and she didn't hesitate to tell what had happened on the roof. Nabiki, in turn, made a cover story about Gosunkugi trying to look like a hero to her with a guy in a monster costume. Of course, Akane now considered Gosunkugi a creep for trying to win her over like he did. Ranma on the other hand, was out in the kitchen was getting tea from Kasumi.

"So how was Momotaros' day?" she asked pleasantly.

"Well," Ranma sighed, figuring that Nabiki had told her sister about it. What he didn't know was that she had recognized the red Imagin's voice and decided not to alarm anyone. "I was asleep for most of it but I heard he yelled at the fiancées and ticked Akane off to the point of tears. The fathers aren't going to let that one slide. Oh, that other Imagin came back too. We managed to find out who wished on him but he managed to get to the past."

"Oh dear," Kasumi frowned. "How far?"

"About a month before I got here really," Ranma snickered. "It was when Gosunkugi first met Akane. Me and Momotaros had to fight it right in the middle of the school grounds. It didn't help when it suddenly grew to the size of a house and became a real bull."

"Oh my!" Kasumi gasped in surprise. "Akane and Nabiki mentioned that happening one day when they came home from school. They had to shut down the school for a week because the police believed that it was a terrorist bombing of some kind. Even though the students said it was some kind of monster."

"I thought so," Ranma nodded. "Good thing no one recognized me when I showed up about a month later."

Nabiki, after explaining her cover story, went up to her room and pulled out a shoebox that she kept filled with backup disks and things that she kept for special occasions. Reaching inside, she pulled out several photos and a tape. Glancing at the photos, she saw the image of Den-O SF fighting the Imagin. She had a sneaking suspicion that Ranma had been the one to take it down and she had very good evidence to support that theory. She would just have to face him about it later. She wasn't about to blackmail a guy who kept people safe from monsters.


	3. The Great Blue Flirt

I do not own Ranma 1/2 or Kamen Rider Den-O. They belong to their respective creators. Any and all credit for these characters go to them. I am only using them for the sake of amusement and I'm hoping all readers will enjoy it too.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin'

Chapter 3: The Great Blue Flirt

Nerima had been relatively quiet since Ranma and Momotaros had defeated their first Imagin together. Sure, rivals still appeared and the fiancées still fought over him like a piece of property, but in some ways, things were better. Ranma now had people he could trust like Hana and Momotaros while he had already gotten closer to Nabiki and Kasumi because they were in on the secrets of the Imagin as well. Kasumi would listen with interest to when Ranma or Momotaros would want to talk while Nabiki would ask favors of them or just chat to learn a little more about Imagin. On the other hand, it got a little more hectic because Momotaros would take over at various points just because he didn't like what was going on. A few such instances were when Genma started sparring with Ranma and got mouthy, leading to a hard pounding by Ranma Red. Other such intervals would be when the fiancées started getting aggressive, making Ranma Red start shouting or just leave. This in turn made the fiancées more determined to try and please him with food or other things they knew Ranma liked so they could get back on his good side.

"Did you have to try and destroy Shampoo's bicycle?" Ranma moaned as he lay on the floor next to the backyard.

'_Hey, that dork with the glasses was coming at me!_' Momotaros argued. '_He was the one who trashed it thinking it was me._'

"Oh," Ranma sighed. "Well that explains why Mousse was a wreck when you finally let me take control so I could see what was happening. Even so, you were the one who threw it to make him think that."

'_Yeah, that Amazon was mad!_' Momotaros laughed. '_I didn't know you could do that with handlebars._'

Ranma followed in a snicker, silently wishing that he could have seen it. He was very careful in avoiding the term 'I wish'. If he said it out loud then Momotaros might try to grant it, even if they were friends.

While the two were talking, they started to hear someone stomping down the hall. Ranma didn't need to have any kind of hint to know just who it was. Momotaros had learned pretty quickly just who would make what sounds around the house. Soun would sob, Genma would hurl insults or pig out on food, Nabiki would just be normal, Kasumi would hum, and Akane...

'_Here comes the Tomboyasaurus Rex,_' Momotaros sighed. '_I don't envy you right now, Ranma._'

Grumbling under his breath, he sat up as Akane came into the room. She seemed somewhat pleased with herself, which was a rare enough thing since she was either mad at Ranma, fiancées, her father, or just at boys in general. The wedding had not been a good experience for her. She also had a plate in her hands with a...concoction on it. Apparently she had tried her hand at cooking again. Ranma could have sworn that he saw his life flash in front of his eyes yet again as the food got closer.

"I made this, Ranma," Akane spoke as she presented it. "Try it."

"Uh...I'm...not hungry," Ranma replied, really hoping that he could get out of this without getting poisoned.

"You're always hungry, Ranma," Akane frowned. "I worked hard on this and I want you to try it."

"Did you read the recipe?" Ranma asked, hoping that she did for a change.

"Yes, I did," Akane replied, her voice getting an edge to it.

Ranma though otherwise to her statement when he took a good look at the food. He assumed that it was supposed to be ramen, but it only looked little like it. Some of the noodles were crusty while others were black. There were also chunks of other things, one of which he was sure was wood from the cutting board. Akane just had no patience for cooking despite her numerous attempts to make meals of the same quality that Kasumi had. She seemed to have it engraved in her mind that it was some kind of competition and had to be quick about it. This of course led to her using the wrong ingredients or too much or too little of the right ones. The usual result was inedible. Something she never really clued in on, not even when people got sick from it.

"Just eat it!" Akane shouted as she jammed a spoonful of the food into Ranma''s mouth while his attention was turned. Ranma couldn't help but swallow. The next moment saw him convulsing on the ground, fearing that he might vomit uncontrollably. Of course, he didn't have to worry since Akane lost her temper, feeling that he was insulting her cooking.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" she shouted before hitting him with her mallet and planting him into the dirt of the backyard. She just then stomped off to fume and comment about Ranma making fun of her cooking, not even considering that she was really that bad at cooking.

-----------------------------------------------**Den Liner**------------------------------------------------

"Ouch," Momotaros grimaced as he leaned into his seat with yet another cup of coffee. "That's going to leave a mark."

"Did Ranma get into another fight?" Hana sighed in annoyance. The boy was a magnet for trouble.

"Nope," Momotaros replied. "Akane forced some of her slop down his throat, making him sick. She then clobbered him, thinking he was making fun of her. That girl is as deep into denial as that Kuno kid."

"Hmm," Hana nodded. Seeing a portion of Ranma's life made her amazed to see that he was sane, much less nice. Him being a Singularity Point might have had something to do with his amazing resilience but no one could be positive of that at this point.

------------------------------------------------**Tendo Dojo**---------------------------------------------

As Ranma lay in his food poisoning induced unconsciousness, the world around him seemed to remain still. Nabiki was out and Kasumi hadn't witnessed the incident while the fathers had walked past and assumed that Ranma had done something to make Akane mad so they would just have the boy apologize later and try to get them hitched yet again.

While Ranma was out cold, a yellow orb descended from the sky and into the Tendo yard. It moved straight past Akane, who was crushing dummies in the dojo again. It even passed by Genma and Soun who were plotting to get their children hitched yet again. Any one of those people could have a huge list of wishes that it could grant. Instead, the yellow orb that was an Imagin went straight to Ranma's unconscious form. It hovered over him for a minute, as if considering its actions. After it decided, the Imagin dove down and plunged itself into Ranma's body.

----------------------------------------------**Den Liner**-------------------------------------------------

Momotaros suddenly spewed his coffee across the car in sudden shock. Hana and Naomi both blinked at his sudden action. Both women blinked again before turning to the Imagin who was currently trying to choke down his coffee so he could say a few words.

"What's wrong, Momotaros?" asked Hana, feeling concern.

"It's Ranma," Momotaros coughed. "I've lost contact with him!"

"What?!" Hana cried. "Did something happen to him?"

"I'll say it did!" Momotaros shouted. "Another Imagin just took control of Ranma!"

"What?!" Hana gasped. "Where is he now?"

"I don't know! He's unconscious thanks to Akane's slop and the knock to the head!" Momotaros cried, throwing his hands into the air. "Give me some time and maybe I'll have something for you."

Hana sighed as Momotaros sat on the top of his seat and began to concentrate. He just had to find Ranma before the Imagin that had grabbed him did some serious damage.

---------------------------------------------**Tendo Dojo**------------------------------------------------

'Ranma' stirred from his spot on the grass before he looked up to the dojo itself. His eyes had changed from their usual stormy blue to a bright ocean blue. A streak of bright blue hair could also be seen in his hair, which became more pronounced as he brushed it behind his left ear. This 'Ranma Blue' then stretched to get his limbs back in order before sighing.

"Now who can I string along?" he asked, sounding pleasant and mature.

Looking around, Ranma Blue didn't find anything or anyone of interest. Shrugging his shoulders, he walked out of the dojo through the side and out the front gate. No one seemed the wiser that anything had happened.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At the same moment, Kuno was in his room, watching the bareness of it all. Usually he had pictures of his loves Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl hung on all of the walls wherever he could find the space. Instead, the pictures were all gone and the walls were bare.

"Hmm," Kuno pondered. "It appears that my twisted sister has destroyed the pictures of my loves yet again. I shall have to have Nabiki Tendo secure more of them."

As Kuno continued to ponder this new predicament, he didn't notice an orb of yellow light hover through an open window. It didn't even think twice before it plowed into his back and was absorbed into his body. Fortunately, even someone as dense as Kuno would take notice as white sand began to pour from his sleeves and pants, all over the floor.

"What sorcery is this?" as he drew his bokken and took a ready stance while facing the sand.

He prepared to strike as the sand began to concentrate on one spot. A figure rose from the sand much to Kuno's surprise. This Imagin seemed similar to a samurai, but it wore the bare essentials for the armor. It had shoulder plates, chest plate, a helmet, and judging by the legs dangling above it, pants and shoes. The rest looked like raw muscle while its face looked close to an oni, with a third eye, horns, and all. There was also a sword attached to its hip.

"Ask of me your greatest desire," The Imagin spoke, stepping closer to Kuno. "I will only ask one thing in return."

Kuno was amazed to the good fortune the gods had bestowed upon him, "Ah, the gods truly smile upon me! My greatest desire shall become mine!"

'_What desire though?_' Kuno pondered. '_The fierce tigress Akane Tendo, or the healthy beauty of the pigtailed girl? What of the foul sorcerer Ranma Saotome? I could wish that my loves be free of him. I could also wish my twisted sister to be wed to him, thus ensuring my sister's happiness and my love's freedom! Why must the gifts of the gods hold such a price?_'

The Imagin could only begin to wonder if it had made a right choice in choosing this guy for a contract.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nabiki had been on the town for the day. She was fleecing some students and making some money. While she was working though, she spied someone familiar. The problem was that she would never have found him in the position that she had found him in.

Right down the street from her was none other than Ranma Saotome. What was odd was that he was circled by a number of girls that she recognized from school. They were all giggling and smiling as Ranma made conversation with them. Now incredibly suspicious, Nabiki snuck closer to get a better look and to listen in.

Ranma was taking on a new look and a new attitude. He had his hair tucked behind his left ear and she immediately noticed the blue streak that was quite visible. His eyes had turned to a new shade of blue and he was also sporting a new pair of horn-rimmed glasses. His voice had also taken a turn towards calm and mature. He was completely calm in the middle of the giggling and blushing girls who seemed so eager for his attention. As Nabiki came to a rest, she listened in to their conversation.

"You're never this forward at school, Ranma," one girl giggled.

"Well," Ranma Blue replied, giving a smile that made all the girls blush. "At school I'm always being attacked or fought over. It never really gives me the time to relax and act naturally."

"By why the attention all of a sudden?" asked another girl. "Aren't you engaged?"

"Hmm," Ranma Blue sighed. "I have decided to stop hiding behind the facade of the martial arts fool all the time. I'll probably keep it up around most of Nerima but I want to at least relax once or twice. As for being engaged? Well, thanks to my father I cannot take real action with any of them. So I've decided to just start making friends."

"That sounds okay with me!" the girl giggled.

"But those girls are so pretty," A third girl frowned. "They're all so exotic in their own ways. Most of the boys don't pay attention us anymore."

"Well that is their mistake," Ranma Blue smiled. "What is the beauty of Shampoo or Ukyo? I see before me several beautiful young women who each shine in their own radiance."

Nabiki's eyes widened. Was Ranma flirting? Ranma just called two of his fiancées plain or uninteresting? What was going on? This wasn't the Ranma she knew. That thought was what brought it all home for her. It was an Imagin. The glasses, the eyes, the hair, it all pointed to an Imagin. This guy was apparently new too since Momotaros was red. Whoever this new Imagin was, he might be dangerous if Nabiki tried to confront him.

The girls just all blushed and giggled again. The flirting and conversation continued for several minutes before they left, saying they had some shopping to do. Ranma Blue smiled and sighed in bliss before he started walking down the street. He didn't get very far before Nabiki planted herself in front of him.

"And who might you be?" Ranma Blue and Nabiki asked at the same time.

Nabiki frowned slightly before she decided to answer. Might as well try not to look like a threat, "It seems that you haven't been with Ranma long, Imagin. Otherwise you would know I'm Nabiki Tendo."

"Ahh, the breadwinner," Ranma Blue nodded. "Now I recall you. Your name came up in Ranma's memories. I just didn't look for a face yet. Now I see I should have if you are this attractive."

"Cute," Nabiki smirked at the obvious line. "And just what is your intention with my possible brother-in-law? You are aware that he is engaged and flirting with other girls is most likely going to cause some serious consequences."

"I am aware of the engagements but I don't really care," Ranma Blue shrugged. "They're just an extra challenge to work through. Genma has easily made the hurdle easy to jump anyway since Ranma doesn't really have to get married to any of those girls."

"What do you mean?" asked Nabiki, now curious about the Imagin's words since he apparently wasn't dangerous.

"Well, let's begin with the Tendo agreement," Ranma Blue explained as he motioned Nabiki to follow him. "Technically, Ranma can marry ether Akane, you or Kasumi. He hasn't made a choice about that yet. Your family just suggested Akane. Didn't your father say for Ranma to choose?"

Nabiki's eyes widened at that. It was true. Her own father had mentioned that Ranam could choose. As far as she had searched, the actual agreement was for any of Genma's children to marry her father's. Genma had one son while Soun had three daughters. Ranma was therefore allowed to pick whoever he wanted, or not at all. She chided herself for not picking up on that sooner.

"Let's look at Ukyo's promise next," Ranma Blue continued. "The actual agreement was to take the cart and Ukyo along with Ranma and Genma on the training trip. Genma broke his word and thus invalidated the agreement. Some loss of honor yes, but now the promise does not have to be fulfilled."

Nabiki found herself agreeing with the Imagin. Since Genma did break the promise then Ranma and Ukyo didn't have to fulfill it. Ukyo just didn't want to let go for some odd reason. Maybe her family was just pushing it on her like her father and Genma were trying to push the engagement on Akane and Ranma.

"Finally we come to Shampoo and the Amazons," Ranma Blue chuckled. "They are persistent, but their laws really don't apply here in Japan. Why else would they try so many tricks instead of just knocking him out and dragging him back to their little village?"

Nabiki found herself rather impressed. This new Imagin had just rationalized his way out of all three engagements. So technically, he was free to flirt as much as he wanted without any fear of losing honor or being called unfaithful. This Imagin was good.

"Okay," Nabiki nodded. "So, what are your plans with Ranma anyhow? If you plan on offering Ranma a wish I think you're out of luck. He doesn't have any faith in things that grant wishes I'm afraid."

"That's fine," Ranma Blue shrugged. "I didn't really want to grant one anyway. I just want to live free and enjoy myself. I really can't do that with just anyone's body."

"And why not?" asked Nabiki. "Is it because Ranma is chased by so many girls?"

"While that is a bonus," Ranma Blue smiled. "I must say that it isn't. It's because your friend Ranma is a Singularity Point."

"Singularity Point?" Nabiki frowned, slightly confused at the term.

"He didn't tell you?" Ranma Blue blinked. "Basically, it means that no matter how the timelines change from Imagin or other travelers, Ranma will still exist no matter what. With anyone else, if they vanish, I would too."

"So you picked Ranma because you knew you would be safe," Nabiki finished. "Okay, I'll buy that, but you do realize that he will be mad if he wakes up and finds you flirting with several girls?"

"I'll deal with that when the time comes," Ranma Blue smiled. "All I wish to do is go and enjoy my time here. Is that too much too ask?"

Nabiki frowned as she considered that. This Imagin apparently wasn't dangerous and it just apparently wanted to flirt. Of course, Nabiki suddenly got an idea that could rake in a lot of money. Especially if Ranma Blue could keep flirting like a pro.

"Say," she smiled. "I think we can both profit from your sudden appearance."

"Oh," Ranma Blue blinked before smiling as well. "I'm listening."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The deal was set between Nabiki and Ranma Blue before they returned to the Tendo dojo. Things seemed peaceful for a change. Akane couldn't be heard crushing concrete blocks and the fathers couldn't be heard scheming or partying. To Nabiki, it had become too quiet.

"I don't like this," Ranma Blue frowned slightly. "I think the fathers are up to something."

"How can you tell?" asked Nabiki. "You barely know them."

"To catch a fool, you don't need any bait," Ranma Blue sighed. "Those two always come out of nowhere to cause trouble."

Nabiki again agreed with the new Imagin. Her father and Genma always did have an annoying habit of coming out of nowhere and start stirring trouble for everyone involved. Usually it just involved trying to force Akane and Ranma together at any cost.

Heaving a sigh, Nabiki and Ranma Blue came up to the front door and opened it wide. Instead of the normal hallway they had been half-expecting, Genma and Soun came hopping out of the doorway and immediately rounded on Ranma Blue.

"Boy, now would be a good time to be married!" insisted Genma.

"We have waited long enough and it is the right time for you and Akane to be wed!" Soun added.

Nabiki shrugged, smirking knowingly while Ranma Blue nodded in understanding. He then bowed and then kneeled down to meet their gazes politely, something that was unlike of Ranma to them.

"Mr. Tendo," he regarded Soun. "Otousan," he regarded Genma, surprising him with the respectable term of 'otousan', "May we please continue this discussion in the living room over cups of tea? I believe we have something to discuss."

Nabiki could barely hold in her laugh at the shocked expressions on her father and Genma's faces. They didn't even seem to notice the blue streak in Ranma Blue's hair or his glasses. Ranma was never ever this polite. The two men just nodded and headed towards the living room with Ranma Blue and Nabiki following after them. Ranma Blue gave Nabiki a wink.

In the living room, Kasumi had brought in the tea and immediately Ranma Blue grabbed her hand, holding it tenderly. Nabiki then remembered of how much of a flirt Ranma Blue was.

"Kasumi-neechan," he said, "Your hands are so soft today…"

"Oh, my!" Kasumi blushed.

"Such soft hands need to be properly treated. Go, and rest yourself, Kasumi-neechan," Ranma Blue said charmingly. Kasumi nodded and went to the door but then stopped to talk to Nabiki.

"Imagin?" Kasumi asked and Nabiki nodded. Kasumi may not seem too perceptive at times, but even she was able to pick up on Ranma's change in demeanor and made the conclusion that he was possessed by a newer Imagin. Maybe she'd get to meet this one and possibly name him too like Momotaros.

"Now, Mr. Tendo, Otousan, I would like to talk to you about this engagement and-" Ranma Blue stopped as he cupped his ear. He chuckled, "I see she's done. I can hear her feet on the floor right now, headed towards here.

Akane swung the door open and glared at Ranma Blue, shouting, "RANMA NO BAKA!" As soon as she summoned her mallet, she was stopped when Ranma Blue quickly but gently caught her wrist and removed the weapon from her hand. He held her hand gently.

"Ah, Akane, just the cute girl I wanted to see," Ranma Blue said with as much charm he could muster. Akane blinked in confusion and blushed as well. Nabiki was trying to keep a straight face at this. "Here, take a seat. You must be tired. Have a drink of tea as well."

"Oh, okay," Akane nodded, forgetting her temper as she sat down next to Ranma Blue and he offered her his cup of tea.

"You are getting stronger, aren't you, Akane?" he asked and Akane nodded. "It's good to see such a strong and pretty girl like you with a sense of dedication."

"Thanks, Ranma," Akane said, smiling. Nabiki had to leave the room immediately and get as far away as possible to laugh her ass off. This was just too much!

"It's good to see that you're finally taking this seriously, my boy!" Soun cheered. "I'll call the priest!"

"Right, Tendo!" Genma nodded happily. Finally he could get to his retirement!

Akane started to get angry again, her scowl and a faint aura of anger appearing around her. Before she could start yelling denials and pound someone, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to see Ranma Blue, smiling charmingly at her. She couldn't help but blush again. What was wrong with her? She hadn't ever acted like this around Ranma ever. More importantly, what was up with Ranma? He was being nice, charming, a complete gentleman. It was strange, but Akane found that she didn't have much reason to complain. It was better than being called 'uncute' all the time.

"Now, now, Akane-chan," Ranma Blue smiled. "Don't you worry, I'll handle things." He then turned to the fathers who were shocked dumb at seeing Ranma actually calm down a fuming Akane. "Now, I understand that uniting the schools of Anything Goes is quite important to the two of you, if your past acts have been anything to go on anyway."

"Of course it is, boy!" Genma nodded. "Now if you would just let us call the priest we can finally unite the schools!"

"Now, hold on," Ranma Blue said in a placating tone. "While the schools are important, you have to remember that Akane and I are still rather young for marriage. We aren't even at the legal age yet."

"Is that all you're worried about?" Soun laughed. "Don't worry! The priest I know will keep it quiet so you can get married right away!"

"The gesture is appreciated, but I think it would be best if we still hold off on any sort of wedding," Ranma Blue replied.

"WHAT?!" Genma cried. "Now see here, boy! This is a matter of honor!"

"Do you see me arguing?" Ranma Blue asked, causing Genma to stop in mid-rant. "Of course not. What I'm just saying is that Akane and I just have too many things to worry about besides a marriage being crammed down our throats."

Akane was blinking at Ranma Blue's words. He seemed to be both accepting and postponing the wedding at the same time. Something really strange was gong on. Usually Ranma would be fighting tooth and nail against the idea of a wedding but right now he seemed to be viewing it as some kind of business agreement. He was actually making serious arguments against the wedding, but he was also making good points that were making the fathers remain calm enough to listen.

"You two have always maintained that Akane and I are meant to be, right?" Ranma Blue asked, wrapping an arm around Akane. The girl in question was blushing again, but was unsure if he was being perverted or not. "Well, why rush a good thing? If Akane and I truly are meant to be then we'll get married eventually, won't we?"

Soun was nodding to himself before turning to his friend, "Your son has a point, Saotome. Why should we rush this now that he seems to be accepting it anyway? It is only a matter of time."

Genma was a little reluctant to let things run their course. He wanted his retirement now before he was too old to enjoy it. The only problem was if he stated arguing about it now that his best friend seemed to be all for letting things naturally, things might get ugly for his plans. With no support, Genma had to agree with a sage-like nod.

"Fair enough," he spoke. "We did say they were meant to be, didn't we?"

Ranma Blue nodded, feeling victorious in deflating the fathers and keeping Akane from blowing her top. He was aware that this was a major accomplishment, but the people who knew them would see this as a sort of divine intervention. With his charming smile, Ranma Blue stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Akane, feeling a little disappointed that this charming Ranma was leaving. Who knew when she would see this side of him again? Not that she would admit it though.

"I'm going to make myself a cup of tea," Ranma Blue smiled. "Kasumi-neechan works so hard. I don't want to impose on her."

With that, Ranma Blue walked out of the room and down the hall into the kitchen. When he stepped inside, he saw Kassumi sitting down with her own cup of tea next to Nabiki who was gasping for breath and clutching her sides. She had been laughing so hard there were even tears in her eyes.

"Hello, Imagin-san," Kasumi smiled pleasantly.

"Hello, Kasumi-neechan," Ranm Blue smiled, taking a seat in front of her and gently taking up her hands. "I'm happy to see that you're taking the time to treat yourself."

"Oh my!" Kasumi blushed. "Imagin-san, it's improper to be this forward to someone you've just met."

"Ahh, but if you aren't forward then how can you be sure that you are meeting your 'special someone'?" Ranma Blue argued with his charming smile.

"Ohhh, my sides," Nabiki chortled as she watched the exchange. She stifled another laugh at seeing her elder sister's rosy cheeks. "You _are_ good. To be able to keep the fathers down and keep Akane happy. I admit it, you are good."

"I try," Ranma Blue smiled as he leaned back.

'_...uhhh, dumb tomboy,_' Ranma's voice echoed in Ranma Blue's thoughts. '_Hey! Who the heck are you?!_'

"Uh-oh!" Ranma Blue gulped. The real Ranma was awake!

'_Found you!_' the angry voice of Momotaros shouted alongside Ranma's. '_Get out of there!_'

Add in the red Imagin for instant trouble.

'_Sorry, but I was using it first,_' Ranma Blue argued in thought. '_You can wait until I'm done._'

'_Like hell we will!' _both voices raged back.

What happened next was something that would look like a hippie trip to most people who could see all levels of ki. The red image of Momotaros appeared next to Ranma Blue and started pushing a blue form out of the martial artist's body. The streak of hair kept switching between red and blue while the glasses would appear and disappear. Lastly, a bright blue aura appeared over Ranma as he put his own resistance into the fight.

'_GET OUT THE BOTH OF YOU!_' Ranma bellowed before the aura surged and blasted both Imagin away.

-----------------------------------------------**Den Liner**-----------------------------------------------

Naomi let of a brief squeak of surprise as two Imagin came falling out of the air and crashing to the floor. Hana then came into the train car, wanting to see just what was going on. What she saw was two Imagin who were groaning in pain as they struggled to stand. One was the red form of Momotaros but the other Imagin was blue.

He was donned mostly in bright blue armor that looked more like carapace in some spots. On each of his shoulders was a single hexagonal gray plate. His face seemed close to what someone would expect to see on a turtle. His eyes were a bright orange which caught attention whenever someone would glance at his face.

"Oog," Momotaros groaned. "I hate it when he does that."

"Ugh," the blue Imagin groaned. "That boy is just full of surprises."

Hana smirked at the sight. It seemed that this new Imagin just may have been taught a lesson for taking something without permission.

----------------------------------------------**Tendo Dojo**--------------------------------------------

"Welcome back, Ranma," Nabiki smirked at the heavy breathing martial artist.

"It's nice to see that you're making so many new friends," Kasumi smiled.

"He's not my friend," Ranma growled. "He stole my body after I was knocked out!"

"We know," Nabiki nodded. "He told me and I told Kasumi. We could tell that it wasn't you."

"Please tell me he didn't do anything that made me look stupid," Ranma groaned.

"Well," Nabiki replied with a widening smirk. "He didn't do anything to make you look stupid..."

"What did he do?" Ranma asked, growing more fearful.

"Well," Nabiki smiled, bordering on laughter. "Let's just say that your popularity with the ladies took a huge shot upwards."

"WHAT?!" Ranma cried. "Don't tell me he had se...se..."

"Nothing that extreme," Nabiki laughed. "He just flirted a lot with a group of girls from school. Expect to be mobbed tomorrow."

"Gah," Ranma groaned, resting his head on the table. "The fiancées are going to kill me!"

Nabiki just watched with amusement and Kasumi ran a comforting hand over Ranma's head. The middle Tendo daughter wasn't about to tell him the way out of the engagements unless there was a real need for it. The Tendo dojo wasn't in danger of going bankrupt and the fiancées were always trying to get Ranma to come to them in their (un)usual ways. What Ranma didn't know was that after Momotaros was finished chewing the fiancées out for their fights, they would go to Nabiki to see what was bothering him. It was a nice profit, she had to admit. Good thing Momotaros didn't know about it or he might actually demand a cut.

"Ranma," Kasumi spoke up. Ranma looked up from his depression to Kasumi's face. "Do you think you could introduce us to your new friend?"

"Fine," Ranma sighed. He really couldn't refuse Kasumi anything if she asked. She was just too nice.

-------------------------------------------**Den Liner**----------------------------------------------------

'_You guys listening?_' Ranma asked. Only the two Imagin could hear him.

"Yeah," Momotaros grunted from his seated position, glaring at the blue Imagin.

"Of course," the blue Imagin nodded, sitting calmly as if no one was trying to glare holes in him.

'_This is to that new Imagin,_' Ranma sighed. '_Kasumi wants to meet you, face-to-face._'

"Ahh," the blue Imagin smiled as he stood up. "A summons from someone like Kasumi. How can I say no?"

Walking into the isle, the blue Imagin stepped forward before he vanished into a blue haze of energy. Momotaros sputtered before he got up. He did not look a single bit happy with what was happening.

"Oh no you don't, you stupid turtle!" he raged. "You'll just flirt with her!"

Momotaros dashed forward before vanishing in his own haze of red energy. Hana had watched the event and sighed in frustration. She wanted to follow but she didn't want to reveal herself to the Tendo family. It was bad enough that the two eldest daughters knew about Imagin at all. If they learnt about the Den Liner then it was going to be a disaster.

----------------------------------------------**Tendo Dojo---------------------------**--------------------

At the kitchen table, two mounds of sand rose from the ground. On Ranma's left was Momotaros, looking rather agitated. On his right was the new Imagin.

"You called?" the new Imagin asked politely.

"Watch yourself, turtle," Momotaros growled.

"Momotaros, be nice," Kasumi chided gently. She then turned back to the new Imagin. "Hello there. It's nice to meet you. Do you have a name that we can call you by?"

"I do not have a name like that," the blue Imagin sighed regretfully. Nabiki could tell that it was an obvious act. After all, she had used that particular sigh herself. "If you would like to name me something than by all means I would be honored."

"Hmm," Ranma pondered. "You look kind of like a turtle. That might help."

"He's got a point," Nabiki nodded. "Any ideas?"

"I know!" Kasumi smiled brightly. "Urataros!"

"Urataros?" everyone else in the room blinked.

"Yes!" Kasumi smiled. "Like in the story 'Urashima Taro'. There are turtles in that story and since we named Momotaros after the peach boy story, I thought we could do the same here."

"Urataros," the blue Imagin nodded, considering it. "Hmm, it flows off the tongue quite easily. I like it. Kasumi-chan, I feel so blessed that you would give me such a nice name."

"Oi!" Momotaros growled. "Knock it off for one minute!"

"Oh my!" Kasumi blushed again with a giggle. "You're such a flatterer!"

"It's what I'm good at," Urataros smiled. "It is also quite easy when I see someone as picturesque like you."

"Will he ever stop?" Ranma sighed.

"I hope not," Nabiki smirked. "He and I struck a deal."

Ranma flinched when he heard the tone in her voice. No doubt about it. She was planning on making a lot of money in the near future, "What deal?"

"Oh, you'll find out," Nabiki replied, her smirk widening.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The day continued on and the night quickly fell. People were still out and a number of them were just out having fun or were couples. In all, most of the martial artists were asleep or elsewhere doing their own thing. In Happosai's case, he was out stealing panties yet again. The usual mob of enraged women were following him as he cackled during his getaway.

The focus tonight was placed on a young college freshman who was busy walking back to her dorm while reading one of her textbooks. She had been working all day and looked dog tired. To keep her hair out of her face, she had tied it into a pigtail. As she was walking, she didn't know that she was being followed. Her textbook was demanding all of her attention.

Her attention was finally caught when she heard something crash in a nearby alleyway. She stopped for a moment to try and see what it was. After a couple of moments, she didn't see anything. Shrugging to herself, she started to continue on her way, only to run into the leathery hide of the monster in front of her.

Its skin was a dark blue color while its armor was black. Its eyes were a sick shade of yellow and it's pants were a dark brown. The sword it had at its hip looked incredibly dangerous. The beast was also breathing heavily.

"Yaaaahhh!" she screamed as she saw the monster's face.

"Pigtailed girl," the Imagin growled before he grabbed the girl around the waist and hefted her over his shoulder. It then leapt onto the buildings and towards its destination, the girl screaming all the way.

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Ranma found himself dreading going to school again but there was no helping it. Nabiki was not telling him what Urataros actually did on a flirting scale. So far he even managed to avoid the old lady with the ladle. This didn't make Ranma feel any better though. It just made him feel that all the bad things in the day were going to hit him all at once. At the moment he was just hoping to survive when it finally decided to try its hand at smiting him.

"I'm going to die," Ranma groaned.

'_Oh how bad could it be?_' Momotaros sighed.

'_Now really, Ranma,_' Urataros sighed. '_The girls I met yesterday loved the attention I gave them. Why would they want to cause harm to you?_'

Ranma didn't feel like talking to Urataros at the moment. He was prepared to chalk up anything that happened to him regarding women as his fault though. The anticipation of the upcoming torture was so great for the poor boy he was actually hoping to see Kuno coming out to challenge him. If he didn't then the stress would become too much for him.

"Hold, foul sorcerer!" Kuno bellowed right on time as Ranma stepped onto the school grounds.

"Whew," Ranma sighed in relief. "Might survive the day yet."

Ranma smirked as he stepped forward to face the ever-annoying kendo artist, "Okay, Kuno, lets get your daily beat-down over with!"

"Hah!" Kuno laughed. "Today is the day I will defeat you once and for-!"

"IT"S RANMA!" a girl's voice suddenly cried in delight.

"KYAAAAAAAAA!" several giddy cries of delight replied rather loudly.

Before Kuno could even react, he found himself being trampled by a crowd of girls who had come running out when they saw Ranma. The poor pigtailed martial artist found himself crowded by a large group of girls who were all giggling and blushing at being so close to him.

"Oh I thought you'd never get here!"

"I didn't think Ranma would ever notice us!"

"He doesn't seem that charming now."

"Dummy! He's pretending, remember?"

"Oh, please drop the mask, Ranma!"

Ranma found himself cut off from any kind of escape route. He was worried that if he tried to jump over them, they'd just end up grabbing his legs and tripping him up. There was also the threat that if he tried to run then the girls would be enticed to riot. He'd also lost Akane in the mob but she'd probably go nuclear at any minute. There was only one person who he could blame at the moment.

'_URATAROS!_' Ranma bellowed, catching the two Imagin on Den Liner off guard.

'_Yes?_' the blue Imagin asked calmly.

'_This is your mess!_' Ranma shouted mentally. '_Do something!_'

'_Gladly,_' Urataros replied, a smirk in his voice.

Ranma suddenly shuddered as the image of Urataros appeared over him before being absorbed into his body. His eyes changed to a bright blue as a blue streak appeared in his hair. He passed his hand over his face, causing his glasses to appear and his hair to get tucked behind his ear.

"Alright, ladies, I give up," Ranma Blue sighed dramatically, causing a number of the girls to gasp in delighted surprise. "I'm all yours."

"KYAAAAA!" the girls cried out in delight again. They had their prince charming!

'_I didn't mean make it worse!_' Ranma cried in despair.

Up above on the balconies, the only girls who weren't part of the stampede were Nabiki and a few of her lackeys. Only Nabiki seemed to be immune for Ranma Blue's charm. Her lackeys, on the other hand, seemed eager to go down to the ground floor but were reluctant to leave their boss.

"What is up with Ranma today?" asked one of Nabiki's lackeys. "I've never seen him rake in girls like this before."

"Just a latent talent he's decided to refine," Nabiki smirked. "He's also going to be the centre of our next scheme."

"He is?" another lackey asked.

"Yep," Nabiki smirked before she wrote something down and gave it to another lackey. "Get this photocopied and pass it around to every single girl. They're going to love it."

The lackey took the note and went running for the photocopy room. Nabiki leaned back in her chair and observed how Ranma Blue was raking in almost every girl in school. She was going to make a killing!

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Ranma Blue eventually made it to class, despite several girls wanting him to stay with them a little longer. Hinako had drained the girls who weren't part of the class and instantly grew to her adult form. Ranma Blue didn't waste time in flirting with her as well. It sent the woman into a giggling frenzy as she hid her blushing face behind her hands. Ranma took back control after that. Class was boring to Urataros and he didn't want any part of it. Class was uncomfortable to Ranma though. Most of the girls were sending him dreamy gazes while the boys were glaring at him. Akane was sending him death-glares the whole class as well.

Ranma had never been more relieved when the lunch bell rang. He was out of the classroom like a shot before he found himself a private part of the school to just sit down and enjoy his lunch.

"Nihao, Airen!"

Ranma suddenly found himself crushed under Shampoo's bike again. Shampoo immediately leaped off her bike and planted herself in front of Ranma as he stood up. She was holding a large bowl of ramen and was wearing one of her short skirted outfits. She was trying pretty hard to get Ranma's attention now.

"Shampoo make special lunch for Airen," Shampoo smiled. "Airen no mad at Shampoo now?"

'_Doesn't this bimbo ever learn?!_' Momotaros raged.

The red image of Momotaros appeared above Ranma and was about to enter him, but at the last second, the blue image of Urataros appeared and shoved him out of the way before merging with Ranma. Soon, Ranma Blue was in charge, glasses and all.

"Xian-chan," Ranma Blue said seriously, yet soothing at the same time. "You can't just go and keep dropping your bike on me. If you keep doing that then I might stop liking you. Do you want that?"

"Aiyah!" Shampoo cried. "No, no, no! Shampoo sorry! Shampoo no do that anymore! Promise!"

Ranma Blue had clasped her hand and was gazing into her eyes the whole time. It was making the Amazon's will go slowly to mush. Shampoo and all the other women in her tribe were used to two types of men; spineless men, like the kinds who usually became servants in her village, and strong types. Examples of this were the powerful men who would help protect the village from threats. Shampoo was never really prepared for a man who could woo her with just words. This made her especially vulnerable to Ranma Blue's words.

"Good," Ranma Blue smiled before he stepped back. "Now, let's see that ramen."

Shampoo happily handed the bowl of ramen over to Ranma Blue who happily began to slurp it up. Well, he tried to before a spatula came flying through the air and knocked it onto the ground, ruining it. Both Ranma Blue and Shampoo turned to see Ukyo who was holding her battle spatula in her hands and looking for a fight.

"Aiyah!" Shampoo raged. "Why Spatula-girl do that?!"

"I was keeping my Ranchan from being drugged by you!" Ukyo shouted back.

"Shampoo not do that today!" the Chinese Amazon shouted, drawing her bonborri. "She no want Airen mad at her anymore!"

Their battle auras flared up and both girls were ready to trade in some blows. Well, Ranma Blue looked between the two and smirked before he stood up and set himself between them.

"Ladies, ladies," he sent charmingly, "There is no need for you to get rough, really." He placed a finger under Ukyo's chin, gazing into her eyes. "Ah, Ucchan, lovely as always I see. Even in a boy's uniform, you still take my breath away."

"Ran…Ranchan," Ukyo blushed as she became weak in the knees due to Ranma Blue's words. He then turned his attention towards Shampoo whilst Ukyo was day-dreaming about her wedding with Ranma.

"And, Xian-chan, my exotic Amazon beauty. Must you always fight? You don't want to ruin that beautiful face now, do you?" he stroked her cheek. Shampoo was also becoming affected by the possessed Ranma's words and dropped her bonborri.

"Airen…" she purred. Both girls were both now like putty in his hands as their faces were flushed and their eyes were like hearts. Ranma Blue smirked.

'_Wow_,' Ranma whistled, impressed. '_Never thought of that before._'

'_Violence only begets more violence, Ranma_,' Ranma Blue responded, '_You can learn a thing or two from me._'

'_Yeah, right!_' Momotaros scoffed.

The sound of stomping feet and the shrill shriek of, "RANMA NO BAKA!" took Urataros' attention behind him where Akame came charging in with her mallet ready to swing. Oh, his charm had worked before so he was going to give it a try once more. Akane got in range and swung, but Ranma Blue ducked under it, avoiding from being sent into the air and grabbed her wrist gently with one hand and removing the mallet with the other. Ukyo and Shampoo were still in a daze so Ranma Blue could work in peace. He then dragged Akane away.

"Ah, Akane-chan, just the girl I wanted to see," Ranma Blue said, smiling charmingly.

Akane was beginning to get affected by his gaze but then shook her head. She glared at him and said, "Why did all the girls mob you today!?"

"Why? Let see…well, maybe it's because I am _your_ fiancé," Ranma Blue stated.

'_URATAROS!_' Ranma screamed.

"Huh, what?" Akane blinked in confusion.

"Well, think about it, Akane-chan," Ranma Blue began, "Before you and I met, you made a stand that you hated boys, ALL boys in fact, but then you suddenly had yourself a fiancé. Well, the other girls would be quite curious, wouldn't they? They would want to see what was so special about me that you were able to snag me for yourself. Akane-chan, they are jealous of you and want to know how it feels like to have such a loving fiancé." He then leaned in closer, taking her hands in his.

'_URATAROS!!!_' Ranma shouted at the blue Imagin.

Akane's eyes went soft as her cheeks gained a tint of pink in them. She just couldn't get past how charming Ranma was being. Even her 'I hate boys' standpoint was falling underneath the sheer charm that Ranma Blue was using. Said possessed boy smiled at seeing how his words affected her. He then gave her hand a kiss and left her saying, "See you later, Akane-chan."

When he got far enough, Ranma took control back again. The glasses and the blue streak in his hair vanished. He was not pleased and his face was flushed red.

'_What the hell was that about, Urataros!?_' Ranma shouted telepathically at the blue Imagin.

---------------------------------------------**Den Liner**--------------------------------------------------

Urataros was drinking a cup of coffee whilst Momotaros was glaring daggers at him. "Yes, Ranma?" Urataros responded pleasantly.

'_Why did you tell her THAT!?_' Ranma shouted back.

"It's the truth, isn't it?" Urataros asked. Ranma became silent. "Akane has hated boys for an extreme amount of time. Then here you come out of the blue as her fiancée. Of course the girls will want to know. I just didn't mention that I gave them added incentive. Tell me if I'm lying." He was met with silence.

'_But you did tell her all those lies!_' Ranma accused. Urataros wagged a finger.

"Ranma, Ranma, Ranma," Urataros spoke chidingly, "You have a lot to learn about life. Sometimes, you need to tell a few lies to get ahead and to survive. Remember that every one of my words contains a hundred hooks, a thousand fabrications, and ten thousand lies."

'_Lying is what cowards do,_' Ranma said bitterly.

"Well, even cowards need to survive and get by in life," Urataros said calmly. Actually, he was hurt at being called a coward but his façade hid that.

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Ranma took a deep breath and steeled himself for the upcoming massacre that was going to happen. He plucked up the courage to move and he walked straight back to where his three fiancées were seen last. He was expecting some kind of fight to be breaking out or the three of them waiting to cream him once and for all. What he came across was something he was never expecting.

Shampoo and Ukyo were right where Urataros had left them. They were giggling dreamily to themselves and they were definitely nowhere on this plane of reality at the moment. Ukyo was just giggling to herself now and then while Shampoo was in her own dream state as she purred in satisfaction. Akane was still standing, rooted to the spot. Treading carefully, Ranma stepped up in front of his temperamental fiancée and shook her slightly.

"Uh...Akane?" he asked slowly.

"...yeah?" Akane asked quietly, still blushing.

"Uh... the bell's going to ring," Ranma spoke. "We'd better get to class."

"Uh, sure," Akane nodded before she and Ranma headed out to the school. Ukyo and Shampoo were left to their little fantasies.

'_You see, Ranma?_' Urataros spoke sumgly. '_Choose your words and you can do anything._'

'_Shaddup,_' Ranma grumbled.

'_What he said,_' Momotaros added.

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Ukyo and Akane were somewhat subdued for the rest of the day. Akane's attention span had shrunk to zero while Ukyo's mind was still AWOL on her body. She just kept giggling every few minutes. Ranma didn't want to admit it but he was rather thankful that Urataros had gotten him out of that mess. Ranma himself would have just probably stuck his foot in his mouth by the time Akane came into the scene and get punted. Momotaros would have gotten angry and give everyone a serious verbal thrashing, maybe even make Akane cry again. Urataros actually got everyone to calm down and leave each other alone.

The final bell rang and Ranma heaved a sigh of relief. Getting up from his desk he headed out the door. The giggles of girls and their dreamy sighs followed him everywhere he went.

'_Now isn't this better than being attacked all the time?_' asked Urataros.

'_Why do I get the feeling that you lied to these girls too?_' Ranma asked with a frown.

'_How could I lie to them?_' asked the turtle Imagin almost scandalously. '_I merely complimented them on aspects of their beauty that caught my eye._'

'_Highly exaggerated too,_' Momotaros growled.

Ranma heaved a heavy sigh. He felt a huge migraine coming on. Maybe Doctor Tofu would have something for it. He looked forward and saw the school gates. Knowing that the main portion of his day where he got attacked usually was done, he relaxed somewhat.

Of course, that was when Urataros decided that he needed to have control and he quickly possessed Ranma again. Ranma Blue looked up with his glasses over his eyes and he smiled. Straightening his shirt, he quickly turned back to the school and began walking towards it.

"Sorry, Ranma," Ranma Blue apologized. "But Nabiki-chan and I have a deal to execute. I may lie but I don't go back on my word."

'_What deal?!_' Ranma demanded. '_Give back my body!_'

"Nabiki-chan and I have devised a way to get the Tendo Dojo some money for the budget," Ranma Blue explained. "I think doing her a few favors is very fair since you freeload there don't you?"

'_Well, doing Nabiki a favor is just asking for trouble!_' Ranma sputtered, knowing Urataros was right. '_She'll pull a fast one on you!_'

"Ranma," Ranma Blue smirked. "I know Nabiki is quite the mistress when it comes to the art of manipulation, but I am a master. Just relax, I'll handle everything."

'_That's what we're afraid of!_' Momotaros snapped.

Ranma Blue ignored that last comment as he went around the corner of the school and to the back. What he found himself looking at would have made the real Ranma grow incredibly nervous. For Ranma Blue though, it made him smile. There was a huge crowd of girls all with hopeful smiles on their faces. At the front were Nabiki and a few of her lackeys explaining things to them. The middle Tendo daughter turned to see Ranma and a wide smirk appeared on her face.

"Ah, Ranma," she spoke with the amusement in her voice. "Just the man all these ladies are here to see."

"Well I shouldn't disappoint my loving fans now, can I?" Ranma Blue smirked.

"Oh, no you can't," Nabiki agreed.

Walking forward, Ranma Blue planted himself in front of the ladies who were all gathered together. Excited giggles escaped them as they saw the possessed martial artist arrive.

"Okay, everyone," Nabiki called to catch everyone's attention. "Now we all know why you're here. This is an auction to see who is going to go out on a date with Ranma."

'_WHAT?!_' Ranma cried loudly.

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It was a mess of catfights, insults, and underhanded tricks. This was the type of thing that made people look like they were in the middle of a new World War. Property damage was only the beginning of the total of fines that Furinkan would have to pay for the damages involved.

And that was before the actual auction began.

When the actual event was over with, Nabiki thought she had died and gone to heaven when she got the total. 300,000 Yen. A huge profit when she took the time to consider it. The girls were making bids at a frantic pace and whenever it would slow down, Ranma Blue would smile or do some charming move and the girls would go into a bidding frenzy. Some of them even tried to pool their money together to try and secure the date. In the end, a girl named Suzume blew away all the bids with her own.

Suzume was a rather plain girl who no one seemed to notice. She was very modest and she wore her hair in a small pigtail. It was quite the surprise for everyone there to see her make such a huge bid and actually have the cash on hand to pay up. Nabiki thought she found a new best friend.

"Well, well," Ranma Blue smiled. "It looks like we have a date tonight at seven."

Suzume blushed red like a tomato and almost fainted when she saw Ranma directing his charm at her.

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The Samurai Imagin was getting aggravated. He had been searching through the city all day and last night. He had grabbed dozens of girls who had pigtails in their hair and brought them straight back to its contract holder. Not a single one was the pigtailed girl that he was after. It would have been easier if the contract holder had a picture of the pigtailed girl that he wanted but the moron seemed to think that one was just going to come out of thin air or something.

Grumbling incoherently, the Samurai Imagin continued looking down from its perch from the roof of a building. It was getting harder to find a pigtailed girl he hadn't captured before. He had spotted a few he had seen before and girls couldn't seem to wear their hair the same way for more than one day.

"This is going to take forever," the Samurai Imagin growled.

He looked down on more people walking along, mostly people on dates now that the sun had gone down. He eyed each couple carefully until he saw something that he was looking for. There was a pair walking down the street with their arms intertwined. Both had pigtails but the girls was the only one the Samurai Imagin was concentrating on.

"About time," the Samurai Imagin growled before he started moving to cross their path.

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'_I just know that something is going to go wrong,_' Ranma grumbled as Ranma Blue and Suzume walked along.

The date was actually going nicely. Suzume was having the time of her life being on a date with someone like Ranma, who never went on a date unless you manipulated him in some way. Ranma Blue just lay on the charm as the two conversed. The shy high school student was blushing red at almost every moment. She had even admitted that she was a Tokusatsu fan and all Ranma Blue did was compliment her on her open and imaginative mind.

'_How much longer is this going to be?'_ whined Momotaros.

'_As long as Suzume-chan wants,_' Urataros replied. '_She is paying for this date after all._'

'_The fiancées are going to murder me,_' Ranma groaned dismally.

Ranma Blue was about to pull another charming move when he suddenly stiffened. His eyes narrowed as he sensed danger coming. He wasn't the only one either. Momotaros was up in arms. Even Ranma himself felt his personal danger sense going into action.

"Ranma?" Suzume asked curiously.

'_Imagin!_' the three males cried at the same time.

As if on cue, an Imagin did drop down and land in front of the pair. Suzume screamed at the sight and hid behind Ranma Blue, gripping the back of his shirt tightly. Ranma Blue just continued to stare down the Samurai Imagin that was in front of him.

"My quarrel is not with you," the Samurai Imagin spoke. "Just give me the pigtailed girl and I will leave you alone."

Suzume squeaked in sheer terror. Ranma Blue could feel her shaking.

'_Urataros! Let's switch!_' Ranma called.

'_Switch with me!_' Momotaros demanded. '_I'm good with a sword!_'

'_No,_' Ranma Blue replied.

_'Huh?_'

'_Ranma, you accused me of acting as a coward by telling lies,_' Ranma Blue thought sternly as he drew out a familiar belt. '_While I may speak the words of a coward, I act as anything but a coward._'

With a single motion, the belt was wrapped around Ranma Blue's waist tight and securely. Reaching down to it, he pressed the blue button. A new tune echoed from it that sounded like a kind of hollow drum sound. The emblem on the centre of the belt had changed to a deep blue. Taking a step forward, and out of Suzume's grasp, Ranma Blue raised the pass that would change him into Den-O.

'_What are you doing?!_' Ranma cried.

"Henshin," Ranma Blue spoke before swiping the pass over the now blue emblem.

"**Rod Form!**" the belt called before the base armor of Den-O appeared over him. When it was on, the additional armor appeared floating around him. Instead of securing itself, it began to spin until a different configuration came up. The red chest plates were now aimed at his back while the yellow and black ones were hovering over his chest. It then opened from the middle to reveal blue armor that was his new chest plates and shoulder pads that were thick. With a loud clank, the armor attached itself to his body. The final touch was a blue turtle with silver fins coming down the centre of his face. The turtle then split down the middle to reveal two orange hexagonal eyepieces. The two turtle pieces attached themselves to the sides of his head before twisting so that the front turtle fins were pointing behind him.

"Mind if I string you along?" Den-O RF asked as he readied himself for a fight.

"Den-O!" the Samurai Imagin growled, surprised and angered.

"Heh, looks like I'm already famous," Den-O RF chuckled. He then said to Suzume, "You better go hide." The girl couldn't move. Her eyes were wide open as she stared at Den-O RF. He sighed, "Even in this form I cause women to go speechless."

'_Urataros! Get serious!_' Ranma yelled.

"No need to yell," Den-O RF said as he walked over to the Samurai Imagin who had just drawn its sword.

"DIE!" the Samurai Imagin roared as it charged at Den-O RF, swinging down his sword. Den-O RF casually tripped him as he reached down to the sides of his belt to detach the black object and put them together. As the Imagin was getting up, Den-O RF kicked him down again while detaching another piece and combining it with the rest and then another kick before he attached the last piece. His weapon then extended into a rod which he used to block the Imagin's sword. He then twirled his rod around and jabbed the Imagin repeatedly, sending him staggering back. He then continued to swing it at the Imagin's head and the Samurai Imagin got hit a few times.

"A true fisherman is a master of his tools," Den-O RF commented as he dodged a flimsy slash from his opponent. "You are obviously not."

"Shut up!" the Samurai Imagin roared as he stumbled backwards to give himself some space to fight.

Den-O RF just sighed as he rested his rod on his right shoulder. He looked at the Samurai Imagin before speaking again, "Normally I'd string you along a little more, but I'm on a date so I'll have to cut you off early," He revealed his hyper pass and passed it over the emblem on his belt. "**Full Charge!**"

Blue streams of energy passed into the rod as Den-O RF gripped it in both hands. Holding it like a javelin, he took aim at the wobbly Imagin. Gripping it tightly, he threw the rod straight at his target. The Samurai Imagin held it's sword in front of his body just as the rod hit. Den-O's weapon seemed to vanish as a blue hexagonal field spread from the point of impact. The Samurai Imagin was held in place as it tried to move. Den-O RF took a running start before he leaped high into the air. His right foot was extended as he came back down and collided with the Imagin. The hexagonal field was shatered as the Samurai Imagin was sent hurtling to the ground.

"Gaaahh!" it bellowed in pain as it started to get back to it's feet.

"Odd," Den-O RF commented. "That blow should have been more than enough to destroy him."

'_Maybe your technique isn't as good as you think Turtle!'_ shouted Momotaros, but you could hear some smugness in his voice.

The Samurai Imagin got to it's feet before it's sword started cracking and buckling. It then shattered into several pieces as blue energy jumped between the broken pieces of metal. Den-O RF and Momotaros both blinked at what they had just witnessed. It was Ranma who put it into words.

'_I don't believe it. He put his sword in front to take the brunt of the blow!_'

"A tricky one, aren't you?" Den-O RF asked in some amusement. "I suppose I'll just have to try again."

"Oh no you won't!" The Samurai Imagin growled before it tunred tail and ran. The action was very much unexpected so Den-O RF didn't give chase. When he was sure that the Imagin was gone, he gripped his belt and removed it, activating the change back to Ranma Blue. With a charming smile, he turned back to the still stunned Suzume.

"Now, don't we have a date to finish?" he asked with all his charm.

Suzume snapped out of her shock and blushed furiously.

To Be Continued...

A/N: How do you like that? Urataros makes the scene and makes life hell for Ranma when it comes to women. Not that it wasn't hell before but now he added a new sub-basement to it. Want to bet how long it takes before he gets Ranma intoo serious trouble.


	4. Turtle's Heaven Ogre's Hell

I do not own Ranma 1/2 or Kamen Rider Den-O. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. I don't feel like arguing with anyone about this so just sit down and read the fic. You'll be happier that way.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 4: Turtle's Heaven. Ogre's Hell.

Ranma was walking down some streets alone after his date. He was just glad that it was finally over and that he could be in control of his own body for a change. Ranma Blue had walked Suzume home but the girl just seemed to idolize him since she found out he was like those guys in those Tokusatsu shows. When he thought about it, it was pretty cool, but he didn't need a ton of people knowing or else he was going to find his job of busting Imagin that much harder. Ranma Blue (Urataros) had made Suzume promise to keep his secret and she actually swore under a pinky promise not to tell. After she was finally in her home was when Urataros finally let Ranma have his body back.

He was currently trying to find a door that he could use before it was too late. He looked at the watch that Urataros had put on before the date had started. It read 9: 09: 02. He knew that he had to hurry if he wanted to make it in time. Turning a corner, he spied a door to an apartment complex that was obviously open. Checking his watch he groaned as he realized that he only had four seconds left. Using his exceptional speed, he dashed to the door and gripped the handle just as he reached the ninth second and pulled it open.

"Made it," Ranma sighed as he stepped through and onto the sands before making his way to DenLiner.

He stepped up to the first carriage that had a door and waited for the door to open before getting inside. He walked down the hall for a moment before entering the dining car. When he got inside, he stopped for a moment to see the bizarre sight before him.

"Baka, baka, baka!" Hana cried as she pounded Urataros over the head several times.

"Ah ha ha ha ha!" Momotaros laughed loudly, obviously enjoying the sight. "That will teach you!"

Naomi just watched the sights while preparing two cups of coffee. One had blue foam on the top while the other had red foam. Ranma just leaned on the service counter and waited for them to finish up.

"So I guess you guys already know about the Imagin?" he asked Naomi, who handed him a cup of normal coffee and a smile.

"Yup!" Naomi smiled. "Hana-chan didn't like it when Ura-chan said it got away. Then Momo-chan said that Ura-chan let it get away so he could continue with his date with that girl who paid for it."

"Heh," Ranma snickered as he turned to see Hana shove Urataros into one of the seats on the seats. "Hopefully she'll pound some sense into him."

"I doubt it," Hana huffed as she took a seat next to Ranma. Her breath was a little short after hitting Urataros so many times. "I can't believe he let that Imagin go just to finish a date."

"Well," Ranma began, wanting to defend the blue Imagin, despite the crap he had to go through because of him. "It did run away pretty fast. That and Suzume had paid for the date and if we did run out of it then she might complain to Nabiki. Brr."

"What's so bad about Nabiki knowing about that?" Hana asked, expecting some kind silly reason for people to fear her.

"You have no idea," Ranma shivered. "That girl can blackmail you out of every Yen you have."

"You can't be serious," Hana blinked.

"Oh, he's serious," Momotaros grumbled from his own seat. "That girl is as crafty as the Turtle. Only instead of flirting, she uses it to get lots of cash. At least if an Imagin gets her we'll know what she'll wish for."

"That bad?" Hana blinked. "Surely you can't be serious."

"You obviously haven't been in Nerima for an extended period of time," Ranma sighed as he took a sip of coffee. "This is pretty good, Naomi. Kasumi would love the recipe."

"Sorry," Naomi giggled. "DenLiner secret!"

Both Ranma and Hana snickered at this. Naomi then continued to take the cups of coffee she had been working on to the two resident Imagin. She smiled, "New creation! Momotaros Special and Urataros Special!"

"Ooh!" Momotaros grinned. "Looks good!"

"Ahh, thank you Naomi-chan," Urataros nodded as he took his own cup with the blue foam. Momotaros had grabbed the red one.

Ranma shook his head at the hijinks that he had seen thus far. He had to admit, despite how much they added to the craziness back home; the two Imagin were alright guys. They didn't really want anything serious from him. Just a little time in control and that was it. They didn't want to fight him for anything and weren't pressuring him into anything either. DenLiner was quickly becoming a sanctuary for him. It was way more peaceful than anywhere else in Nerima.

------------------------------------------

Ranma slid open the front door to the Tendo Home as DenLiner dropped him off at home. He calmly shut the door and slid off his shoes. Things seemed calm for the moment, but he was positive that it wasn't going to be in about five minutes or less. His theory was proven right when the fathers came barreling down the hall and rounded on him. Ranma could almost set his watch by them.

"HOW DARE YOU CHEAT ON MY LITTLE GIRL?!" Soun bellowed in demon head form. Ranma just shivered at the sight. Once upon a time it might have scared him, but fighting Imagin was proving to be scarier.

"Quite right!" Genma agreed. "Have you no honor?! How dare you cheat on your fiancée and go out with some other girl!?"

Ranma just heaved a sigh and didn't say a word. He knew it was going to go in one ear and out the other with these two. They would just bellow and whine no matter what he said. Even when he tried to say something, they would end up twisting it into something they wanted to hear and then try to force Ranma to marry Akane.

'_Hmmm, you truly don't need bait to catch fools,_' Urataros sighed. '_They come right to you._'

'_They're pissing me off!_' Momotaros growled. '_I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!'_

Ranma's eyes widened at Momotaros' announcement. The fathers just assumed that Ranma was realizing the gravity of his actions and proceeded to bellow and whine even more. Meanwhile, Ranma was trying to talk Momotaros out of coming out, but he was already coming. Ranma's hair suddenly slicked back as a red streak appeared in it. His eyes had also turned to a new shade of red. The fathers' inability to notice the obvious made sure that they didn't see it. Genma decided to end the little rant he and Soun were on with a last question.

"Well boy?" he asked. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ranma Red's mouth turned to a smirk as he gazed at Genma and Soun. His grin remained as he spoke, "Ore futatabi sanjou!"

"Huh?" Genma and Soun blinked stupidly.

"Where do you two get off on harping me about honor, huh?" Ranma Red growled, stepping closer to the not-so-dynamic-duo. His red aura was showing, making them both step back. "You two are the last people who should be talking about honor!"

"What are you talking about?!" Genma bellowed. "We're both very honorable!"

"Quite right!" Soun nodded.

"Yeah right," Ranma Red huffed. "You call engaging your son for food before welching on them honorable?" He then glared at Soun. "You call selling one of your daughters' futures for French food honorable? Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha! That's funny! If you call that honorable then I'm glad I'm not like you!"

"That's beside the point!" Genma shouted, still sweating at being called out on his past activities. "The point is that you cheated on your fiancée tonight with some hussy!"

"Yes! That's what we're talking about!" Soun agreed. "Not some foolish mistakes we made in the past!"

"Quite right, Tendo," Genma nodded before turning to Ranma Red. "Now boy, you will apologize to your fiancée and marry her right away to prove it!"

"Why you...!" Ranma Red growled as he was preparing to throttle the pair before Urataros stepped in.

'_Now, now, Sempai,_' he chided. '_Violence will not get us out of this, no matter how much they deserve it._'

'_Why?_' asked Ranma. '_I beat up Pop for doing stupid stuff like this all the time._'

Urataros didn't reply as he went into action and he shoved Momotaros out of the driver's seat. He then took control as the red streak of hair turned blue and with a wave of his hand, glasses appeared over his face. His eyes had turned from red to bright blue.

"Mind if I string you along?" Ranma Blue smirked as he faced the fathers.

"What?" Soun and Genma asked, thinking that Ranma was acting a little weird since he hadn't tried to hurt them yet.

"Mr. Tendo, Otousan," Ranma Blue spoke. "I was on a date with Suzume-chan because Nabiki set it up for extra money for the dojo. You honestly don't think that money for this place comes out of nowhere, do you?"

"Uhhhhhh," the fathers began, trying to get their rage up at Ranma so they could try to cow him into marrying Akane again. It was hard because he was proving to be such a smooth talker. Genma proved that his greed and gluttony was stronger as he began to speak again. "Boy! You are engaged to Akane and you have an obligation to remain faithful to her through your engagement and marriage!"

"I'm engaged to Akane?" Ranma Blue asked curiously. "I don't recall choosing her as my future bride. In fact, I don't recall choosing any of the girls as a fiancée."

"WHAT?!" Genma roared. "Now see here, boy! You are engaged to Akane and that's final!"

'_What are you talking about?_' asked Ranma.

'_This is where thinking things through pays off_,' Urataros replied. '_Now pay attention._'

Ranma Blue continued, "Well, the agreement was made between you two before any of the girls and I were born. Secondly, you did agree I could choose to marry any one of them. _I_, meaning _me_." He narrowed his gaze on both of them and smirked, "I wasn't the one who'd agreed to marry Akane-chan, and it was just a matter of fortune that both Naibiki and Kasumi-neechan were the ones who agreed for her instead. Therefore, I never exactly chose her to be my fiancée, Nabiki and Kasumi did."

"Er…" Genma said blankly, not knowing how to counter.

"Also," Ranma Blue removed his glasses and appeared to be cleaning the lenses with a handkerchief before putting them back on, "I don't exactly see a written contract between the both of you in regards to the matter, so how do we know it's not really false. We all have only your words for it and they aren't really worth that much to begin with."

"But, Ranma," Soun whined.

"And, well, there really wasn't a drawn up contract between Akane and I that needed to be sign. Therefore, you are conducting an arranged marriage illegally. Not exactly honorable behavior." He looked at the blank and silent looks on both men's faces and smirked victoriously, "Well, now I wish to greet Akane to see how she's doing. Bye bye." He walked pass the two men and headed for the stairs.

"Um, what just happened?" Soun asked his friend who shrugged in confusion. What had happened, they did not know.

Ranma Blue was in front of Akane's door. No doubt she'd heard about the date and was waiting to pound him with a mallet. However, the girl could be easily swayed with his words. Hana, on the other hand, ironically, could not be wooed by his words and was able to resist. Maybe he wasn't all that perfect, but at least he was mostly perfect.

"Now, Ranma," Ranma Blue said to his host. "It's high time you learn how to talk to girls, so pay attention. This is where my social skills will save you where fists and _your_ mouth won't."

'_Okay, do your thing then_,' Ranma agreed.

_'You can't be serious_!' Momotaros yelled.

'_Both of us might accidentally make her upset so let the blue guy do his thing. I sure as heck don't want to get malleted again. Besides, it's fun to see Akane speechless for once_.'

"It's a gift," Ranma Blue said proudly. With a flick of his wrist he produced a rose and a box of chocolates. He smoothed his hair back for good measure. "Now, watch and learn."

'_How did you_…?' Ranma began.

"A fisherman never reveals his tricks," Ranma Blue winked. He then knocked on the door, "Oh, Akane-chan."

The door swung open, revealing an angry Akane ready to pummel him.

"RANMA NO-" she began screaming but then Ranma Blue got on one knee and presented his gifts/peace offerings.

"For you, my darling fiancée," Ranma Blue said, flattering her. She'd never heard him call her darling before. She faltered a bit and dropped her mallet. He took her hand and kissed it. "I come to you bearing gifts; a rose as fine as you are and chocolates as sweet as you."

Momotaros could be heard gagging in his head.

"R-Ranma…" Akane blushed as she took the rose and box of chocolates. P-chan was next to her feet and squealed angrily.

'_Oh, the pig_,' Urataros began to muse. He had seen Ranma's memories and realized how appropriate Ryoga's curse form was. It might be able to be used to his advantage in the future. While Ranma had promised not to reveal Ryoga's secret to Akane, Urataros made no such pledge. All he would need would be cold water/hot water depending on the situation and the target of Akane's anger and hatred would shift. Of course, to Urataros, it'd be more fun to string Ryoga/P-chan along rather than do it outright. He wanted to mess with the Lost Boy a bit.

Akane opened the box of expensive chocolates and Ranma Blue immediately picked one and popped it into her mouth. The look on her face was, well…she was in Heaven as she chewed on the confectionary.

"May I come in?" Ranma Blue asked as P-chan squealed angrily, but his squealing fell upon two deaf ears, one pair deliberately tuning him out while the other pair was zoned out and focusing on Ranma Blue's words.

"Sure," Akane said. "Come in." And he nodded and did as she asked.

Nabiki had been spying on Ranma, or should she say Urataros in Ranma, and grew even more impressed. She'd gotten off the phone from Suzume. She'd been another satisfied customer. Urataros would prove to be a useful partner, not just a lackey to her money-making schemes. She used blackmail while he used his words to convince anybody and twist situations into his advantage. She had to admit that she'd rather have him as a partner than an opponent. She walked over and pressed her ear against the door to listen in on the conversation.

Akane placed the rose and chocolates on her desk as she turned to face Ranma Blue. The boy in question was leaning against her door, waiting for her to speak. P-chan was still squealing angrily, trying to push Ranma Blue out of the room. Akane didn't even notice the little piglet as she tried to get her thoughts in order.

"Ranma..." Akane began, not sure of what to say. She felt herself feeling flustered but she wasn't sure why. This was Ranma! He was the immature, rude, pig-headed jerk that has been living in her home for the past year. Why was she feeling so insecure in front of him like she did with Dr. Tofu?

"Yes, Akane-chan?" Ranma Blue asked, smiling slightly. A pink tint crept to Akane's cheeks. P-chan squealed even louder in protest.

"Ranma...I'm worried about you," Akane finally spoke after another moment of silence.

"Oh?" Ranma Blue blinked. "I don't feel ill or injured."

"It's just that you've been acting kind of weird," Akane answered.

Ranma Blue took in the answer in his usual stride. Momotaros and Ranma were beginning to get a little nervous. Akane may have been as thick as a brick, but even she could see when things were different from the norm in her little world. Ranma acting with a trigger temper or as mature as any man in his twenties qualified in the 'weird for Nerima' category.

"It's nothing, Akane-chan," Ranma Blue smiled. "I've just decided that I'm growing tired of the usual chaos and wanted to change. It's as simple as that."

"Well," Akane frowned, unsure if that was the truth or not.

"Don't worry about it," Ranma Blue grinned. "Although I'm flattered that you're worried about me, you can relax. Everything is fine."

Akane's frown remained but she didn't have anything to say to that. Seeing that she was effectively calmed, Ranma Blue left the room to leave her with her thoughts. He would've hugged her for her concern but he wanted to take things slow with her. An arm around her was alright, and maybe a kiss on the hand, but a full hug would easily make her blow up in anger. As he opened the door, he saw Nabiki getting up with a glass to her ear. Acting calmly, Ranma Blue stepped out while keeping Nabiki hidden from Akane's sight. He quickly closed the door before walking down the hall with the middle Tendo daughter. After a couple of steps she noticed that Ranma's hair was back to normal and his glasses were gone. The blue streak in his hair had even done a disappearing act.

"Glad to have you back, Ranma," Nabiki smirked.

"Yeah, sure," Ranma sighed. "I swear, I never thought sappy stuff like that would ever come out of my mouth. At least it wasn't me who said it."

"Well, according to everyone else... it was," Nabiki smiled, bringing a groan from Ranma.

Ranma knew that he had some serious hell coming his way pretty soon. If the fathers caught wind of how Urataros had been smooth talking Akane then they would start pulling every trick in the book to force them to get hitched. That would only alert the fiancées and makes them rise up in arms. Ryoga would be out for blood after the little performance that he was witness to in Akane's room. To top it all off there was an Imagin out there somewhere and it was after Suzume for some reason. No doubt because someone had made a wish.

He just had to find out who and why and what that wish was.

---------------------------------------------------

Kuno was in his room, waiting for the Samurai Imagin to bring him his pigtailed girl. Unfortunately, the ones that the Imagin had brought him were the wrong ones. Kuno could've been specific, but this was Kuno we're talking about here and the specific (and logical) was not exactly a priority in his delusional mind.

"Ah, my beautiful pigtailed girl," Kuno sighed, "Soon, you will be mine and free from the clutches of the evil sorcerer Ranma Saotome." Suddenly, there was a thumping sound and Kuno turned to see the Imagin had returned and this time empty handed. "Well, where is my pigtailed girl? Answer me," he demanded sternly.

The Samurai Imagin growled. His hunt had not only been unsuccessful but had been interrupted as well. Den-O…once he found him again, he'd pay, but first he would need to complete the contract he'd made with Kuno. The Imagin was barely tolerating Kuno and would've outright killed him if it wasn't because Kuno was the only reason he was alive and solid in the first place. If Kuno was killed, he'd disappear as well. Of course, he could beat Kuno up but he'd seen the guy's memories and a beating wouldn't exactly help matters.

Also, he was short one sword because of that blasted Den-O. He'd need a new weapon before he went hunting again.

-------------------------------------------------------

Ranma had snuck onto the DenLiner as soon as everyone was asleep, exactly at 12:12:12. On board and in the dining car were Urataros and Momotaros. Hana was also there. Naomi was at the counter as usual. They'd been waiting for him.

"We have to figure out what that Imagin's after," Ranma said to all of them. "He was going after Suzume for some reason."

"Yeah!" agreed Momotaros, "Let's find the bastard and kick his ass!" Urataros flicked some of the foam off his coffee into Momotaros' face. "Hey!"

"Watch your language, Sempai," Urataros chided, "We are after all in the company of ladies."

"Ranma," Hana said. "Did the Imagin say anything when he wanted to capture Suzume?" asked Hana.

"Nothing in particular," Ranma replied, rubbing the back of his head. Naomi walked over to Ranma.

"Would you like anything, Ranma? Coffee perhaps?" Naomi asked cheerfully.

"Just a glass of water would do," Ranma told her.

"Hai!" Naomi saluted energetically and quickly went back to the counter to get to work.

"Actually, he referred to Suzume as pigtailed girl," Urataros spoke up as he sipped his coffee.

Ranma blinked and then his eyes narrowed. It could only be one person.

"Kuno…" Ranma growled.

"That moron in the samurai bathrobe and bad poetry?" Momotaros asked.

"Who else? The idiot made a wish from an Imagin, that's why this Imagin was going after Suzume," Ranma said angrily. Kuno had no idea what he was getting into, not like he ever did.

"So far, he hasn't caught the specific pigtailed girl this Kuno fellow had wished for. Wonder who it is?" Urataros questioned. Hana and Momotaros chuckled as Ranma shuddered. Ranma had told her about his curse and given her a demonstration with some cold and hot water to explain to her how it worked. Naomi walked over to Ranma and held the glass of water in her hand but she suddenly tripped and splashed it all over Ranma, triggering the change. Naomi gasped.

"I'm sorry, Ranma!" Naomi apologized. She too knew about the curse but was unfazed by it. Working on a time traveling train would do that to a person.

Urataros then looked at Ranma who'd changed into a girl. She was gorgeous! Urataros had to restrain himself from flirting, reminding himself furiously that Ranma was indeed a guy, even if his/her physical appearance had changed. Seeing her cursed form allowed for Urataros to fill in the blanks.

"I'm guessing you are the pigtailed girl this Kuno fellow wants," Urataros surmised. Ranma grumbled.

"Yeah, that's right." Naomi walked over with a kettle and poured the hot water over Ranma, turning her back to a he. Urataros sighed miserably. His host was awfully beautiful and well endowed.

"You know, this gives me an idea," Urataros said, rubbing his chin.

"What is it?" Hana asked.

Urataros had an evil glint in his eyes and Ranma shuddered , not wanting know what was going through the blue Imagin's brain.

---------------------------------------------------

It was pretty obvious what Urataros' plan was. Ranma had found himself, or rather herself, on a street corner after the sun had set. The plan was for Ranma-chan to wait out in the open until the Imagin could find her and attack. From there, it would be child's play to defeat it and confront Kuno on his idiocy.

"I hate you so damn much right now," Ranma growled angrily.

The reason that Ranma was so upset right now was that she was in some very obvious female clothes. A pair of tight jeans that accented her hips nicely and a tight shirt which made the size of her chest somewhat obvious. The whole time she had been there, guys had been checking her out while girls were staring enviously.

'_Now now, Ranma,_' Urataros spoke. '_We need to make sure that you are recognizable as a woman. Otherwise the Imagin might think you as a boy with those other clothes you usually wear A fisherman needs the right bait to catch the right fish, you know._'

"What's wrong with the clothes I wear?" Ranma asked with a glare. Not that she had anything to glare at.

"_Hmm, that body is wasted on you,_' Urataros sighed in disappointment. '_You should be feeling proud of your feminine side. It's not everyday that someone gains the ability to learn how women think. So don't feel ashamed and try to hide it with boyish clothes._'

"I am not going to give perverts the opportunity to ogle me more than they do," Ranma huffed as she leaned against a streetlight.

'_Perverts are people who grope and fondle women without their permission,_' Urataros replied, though with some distaste in his voice. '_They have no respect for the opposite gender. Being 'ogled' as you call it is merely a compliment towards a woman's beauty and grace._'

'_Oh, spare me!_' Momotaros snorted. '_You just don't want to be called a pervert like those hentais at the high school!_'

'_On the contrary, Sempai,_' Urataros argued. '_I have much respect towards women. I always ask for permission to get close before I do. I would never force myself on a woman._'

Ranma could feel that Urataros was telling the truth. He was putting too much emotion into his little argument. Usually when he lied he was suave and cool about it. He also seemed to have fun with it. His little argument at the moment put a little too much involvement for him in it. Urataros may have been an incredible flirt, but he did understand the meaning of the word 'no'. Well, if you really meant it anyway. Otherwise he'd keep trying.

As Ranma was in deep conversation with herself, Hana was hidden on the opposite side of the street. She just hoped that the plan would work. The Imagin had already seen Ranma Blue change into Den-O so if it saw the boy Ranma then their plan would be ruined. What worried her was that Kuno had seen the curse happen and even if he didn't accept it, the Imagin might see it and recognize Ranma's cursed form.

Right now it was a waiting game.

-----------------------------------------------------

The Samurai Imagin felt like it was going to blow its stack at any moment. It had taken forever to convince that moron Kuno to give it a new sword. He just told the idiot that it was part of the payment for his wish. His temper did not get better through to day. It had found three pigtailed girls but none of them was the one that Kuno wanted. Why couldn't the moron just be happy with one of the girls that he had brought him? A lot of them were very pretty and well-endowed but he wanted 'his' pigtailed girl.

Landing on rooftop, the Samurai Imagin began its search again. If it wanted to get to the past then it had to find the pigtailed girl that Kuno wanted. The problem was, where was she?

Looking down at the ground, he spied a redheaded pigtailed girl. She was alone and seemingly waiting for something. It was pretty obvious that she was a woman too judging by how her clothes clung against her. The Samurai Imagin's mouth split into a large grin. This was perfect! He was barely out for a couple of minutes before he found another girl. He was even sure that this girl wasn't one he grabbed before. The others had dark hair, not bright red hair. Not wanting to pass this opportunity up, the Samurai Imagin went for it.

-----------------------------------------------------

Ranma heard a loud thump just behind her. Turning around quickly, she was faced with the Samurai Imagin who had gotten his hands on a new sword. No doubt Kuno had helped with that. The moron had tons of them lying around.

"You will come with me, pigtailed girl," the Imagin spoke menacingly.

"Not a chance," Ranma smirked before she reached behind her into subspace to pull out the Terminal Belt. She would have to change into Den-O quick or she would end up facing a bad beating before she could pull out a win.

"Then I will force you!" The Samurai Imagin growled before drawing its sword and lunging at her.

"Woah!" Ranma cried as she dodged the strike. The thing was quick! She had barely enough time to avoid the attack before a sword came down where she was standing a minute ago. "Hey! Are you trying to kill me or something?!"

"My contract holder wants a pigtailed girl," the Imagin growled. "He never said she had to be alive."

Ranma gulped. Apparently Imagin were even more loose about the details of a wish than she thought. This Imagin must be at the end of his rope if he was willing to kill her just to get her to Kuno. The look in its three eyes was more than enough proof to see that it was willing to go through with its threat.

"Now," The Samurai Imagin spoke. "Are you going to come with me?"

"Not a chance!" Ranma shouted back.

"Then prepare yourself!" The Samurai Imagin shouted with another slash.

Ranma soon found herself hard-pressed to dodge the strikes. The Samurai Imagin was pretty fast and it had a lot of strength behind its blows. Thankfully, it had very little in terms of skill so Ranma was able to dodge. The Samurai Imagin was getting aggravated as the fight wore on. The anger was obvious on its face.

"Hold still!" it roared with a particularly vicious slash.

"I'm not as dumb as you look!" Ranma laughed as she darted back from the attack.

The Samurai Imagin growled and looked like it was ready to go nuclear at any second. Ranma was sure it was going to use another attack at any moment, but was somewhat surprised to see it just smirk before sheathing its sword.

"What's the matter?" Ranma smirked. "Giving up?"

"Heh," The Samurai Imagin smirked before it pointed to Ranma's side.

Ranma blinked at the odd move but complied. She turned to where the Imagin had been pointing before her eyes widened in shock. The streetlight had been cut from the last attack and was falling towards her. Ranma was quick to react as she leaped forward to avoid the collision. The metal pole hit with a loud clang that echoed into the night.

"Ha!" Ranma laughed. "Ya shouldn't have warned me about the stupid pole!"

KLONG! Ranma was down and out like a light.

What had happened was that while the streetlight had indeed fallen, it had rolled after making impact. As it rolled, the actual light had managed to hit Ranma on the back of the head as it came back down. Snorting a laugh of its own, The Samurai Imagin grabbed Ranma and hefted her over its shoulder.

"You had better be the right pigtailed girl," it growled before leaping off.

------------------**DenLiner**--------------------------

"Augh!" Momotaros cried. "That baka! How could he...she…whatever, let that happen!?"

"Ranma-chan was overconfident," Urataros shrugged. "Now the Imagin has the pigtailed girl that Kuno wants."

"I know that!" Momotaros raged. "What are we going to do about it?!"

"Hmm," Urataros pondered. "There are a few things we can do I suppose. If Ranma-chan is unconscious then her body is going to be free at the moment."

"Yatta!" Momotaros cheered as he leaped to his feet. "The Turtle had a good idea for a change! I'll kick that Imagin's ass!"

Momotaros then dashed down the middle of the car before vanishing into a haze of red energy.

---------------------------------------------------------

The Samurai Imagin was at Kuno's place and growled, "Here," as he dropped Ranma-chan onto the tatami floor. "Is this her?" the Imagin asked. _'Please, let it be the right one_,' the Imagin prayed in his mind. It wanted so much to get this contract over with and travel to the past to cause havoc. It was what Imagin like him dreamed off.

Kuno walked over and kneeled down to study the face of the girl the Imagin had brought him. His eyes then widened with glee, "It is her!" He then swept Ranma-chan's unconscious body against his and proclaimed, "Yes, my beautiful pigtailed girl is finally mine!"

The Imagin grinned, "Good. Now, the contract is complete."

"Huh?" Kuno asked; confused as he suddenly felt a little funny. The Imagin's sword tapped him on the head and his body split in half to reveal a swirling green portal. The Samurai Imagin then warped into it before the portal closed.

Kuno had no idea what was going on but he did not care. He had the pigtailed girl so that was all that mattered. Suddenly, Ranma-chan's eyes snapped wide open. Kuno was too daft to notice that they were red.

"Ore…sanjou…" the girl muttered.

"Ah, so you have awakened!" the delusional idiot sighed. Suddenly, Ranma Red's fist met his chin with a sickening crack and sent him flying into the wall.

"Hands off, buddy!" Ranma Red growled as she dusted off her body. She looked around for the Imagin. Seeing no sign of it, she knew what had happened, "Kuso! I was late!"

Hana came in through the door, via the DenLiner again and came tumbling in. Seeing the dazed form of Kuno, she knew that the Imagin had gone back into the past. She walked over to Kuno and held a ticket over his head. The image of the Samurai Imagin appeared on the ticket along with a date.

"February 11th, 2005," Hana read. "But what happened that day?"

"Just a sec," Ranma Red sighed before she walked over to the unconscious Kuno and bopped him in the head again. Amazingly, the delusional kendoist woke up from the blow to the head.

"My pigtailed goddess!" he cried before grabbing her in a hug. "At last we are together!"

"Agh!" Ranma Red cried from his grasp before punching him again to make him back off. "Lay off, you perv! I've got a question for you!"

"I already know the question my love!" Kuno replied with a loving sigh. "I shall of course be happy to become your lover!"

Hana sweatdropped at the delusional fool while Ranma Red began to get mad again, "No you idiot! What happened on February 11th 2005?"

"Hmm," Kuno pondered while taking a meditative pose. "I remember that day well. It is the day that my father had left and I became the head of the household."

-----------------------------------------------

_Kuno stood outside his extravagant home while his father could be seen leaving into the sunset in a taxi. The man said that he was leaving to take extra training in the realm of being a principal. Many of the Kuno servants just believed that he was leaving to pursue his passion of Hawaii. Whoever was right, the facts were still the same. He was leaving and his two children were being left behind to deal with their lives alone. This also made Kuno the head of the household._

_"Hark!" Kuno commented as he brought his hand to his chin. "It falls to me, Tatewaki Kuno, age sixteen, to uphold the honor of the noble and ancient house of Kuno. I shall not fail my noble ancestors!"_

_"Brother!" Kodachi shouted from inside. "Have you seen Mr. Turtle? I can't seem to find him anywhere."_

_"Nay, my twisted sister," Kuno replied, not breaking his pose. "Perhaps his terror of you has finally given him the courage to flee."_

_"You're so mean, Brother!" Kodachi cried from an open window. "Mr. Turtle would never do that!"_

_Kuno just sighed before turning back to his home. As he was walking, he was considering his next course of action._

_"As the new head of the household, I must ensure that the line is secured," he pondered. "But, where shall I ever find a beautiful enough woman who deserves to become part of the Kuno household? Where shall I find a woman who can show enough strength to catch my attention and thus my affections? Does such a woman exist?"_

_As he opened the door to enter, he found himself run over by a giant crocodile. Apparently Mr. Turtle really did decide to make a break for it._

_"That didn't hurt," he mumbled, despite the footprint in his face._

--------------------------------------------

"Okay," Ranma Red blinked. The explanation only just further proved that Kuno was crazy.

"Enough of the past!" Kuno declared loudly before taking Ranma Red's hands. "We should look to the future! Now we may spend our lives together without that foul sorcerer Ranma Saotome coming between us!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Ranma Red groaned before releasing her hands and heading to the door with Hana. "It just might come true one day."

"Hark!" Kuno cried, dashing after the two women. "Do mine ears deceive me? Do not say that you are refusing my affections? This cannot be!"

"Oh it is!" Ranma Red laughed before he and Hana slipped through the door and shut it. Kuno dashed to the door and threw it open. All he saw was an empty hall.

-----------------**February 11th 2005**-------

Kuno was lying on the ground of the Kuno estate. Mr. Turtle had just run him over in a bid for freedom from Kodachi and whatever kind of experiment that she was most likely attempting to conduct on him. He would be back, but that was beside the point.

As Kuno 'rested' on the ground, sand began to fall out of his clothes and pool around him. The sand began to move with a mind of it's own before pooling into a large pile. From the pile, the Samurai Imagin rose and came into the world. There was a huge grin on his face as he drew his sword. He had an entire world to wreck so the timeline could change so he had better get started. Pumping energy into his sword, he watched as it began to glow a bright red. Moving in a swift and efficient motion, he stabbed it into the ground. The energy ripped into the ground and was shot forward to a building. The ground was torn up as it went, leaving a trail of broken sidewalk and asphalt. The energy finally stopped as it hit a grocery store, making it explode in fire and food bits.

-----------------**Present**----------------

Kasumi was walking through the streets as she went to get some last-minute supplies that she would need for dinner. She felt a little silly for forgetting about the spices that she would need but she might as well get them while she could.

As she spied the store, she began to walk towards the establishment while humming a small tune. She liked this store. It was family owned and had some of the best prices in town. With the budget as constrained as it was sometimes, finding a place that had cheap prices but nice quality was sometimes rather hard. This store was a blessing. Akane never liked to go because it was near the Kuno house. Kasumi had to admit that even she didn't like that Kuno boy and his sister because of how they harassed her little sister and Ranma.

'_Oh well,_' she sighed inwardly. '_Maybe Momotaros and Urataros will at least keep Ranma out of trouble._'

Kasumi was close to the store when she began hearing a tearing noise that was rather loud. She turned to the noise and gasped when she saw the ground tearing up from the Kuno house and heading towards the store. The eldest Tendo daughter was so shocked she didn't even know what to do before the tear stopped at the store. Kasumi's shock was even greater when she saw the store vanish into thin air. The only tings left were the people who were inside, who were now looking very confused at what had happened.

"Oh my!" Kasumi gasped.

------------**February 11th 2005**---------

The Samurai Imagin chuckled as it admired its handiwork. Looking for a new target, it started walking don the street. As it was walking, it didn't notice someone in a large brown coat and a broad-brimmed hat holding a pocket watch. The man seemed to be watching the unfolding events.

The Samurai Imagin continued on its way, causing people to scream in terror as it continued. To keep itself amused, it would slash a mailbox or cut down a streetlight. After a little bit of mindless destruction, the Samurai Imagin spied a very tempting target, a car dealership. Now the explosions resulting from that place would be something to see! Raising his weapon, the Samurai Imagin prepared to fire. Before he could actually use his attack, a familiar tune echoed through the air before DenLiner came speeding out of a vortex. As it came speeding closer, the front car's window opened and Den-O SF on his motorcycle DenBird came speeding out. He raced towards the Samurai Imagin and knocked him off balance before coming to a stop.

"Ore Sanjou!" Den-O SF called as he faced his opponent.

"You again!" the Samurai Imagin bellowed angrily.

"Yeah, me again," Den-O SF grunted before getting off the bike. He then started pulling out the pieces of DenGasher. "I owe you for the stunt you pulled in giving that girl to the samurai wanna-be."

"Heh," The Samurai Imagin snorted while raising his blade. "I'd like to see you try to collect!"

"Oh, I will," Den-O SF snorted while completing his sword, making the blade appear. "Don't you know? From start to finish, I'm at my climax!"

"Bring it on!" The Samurai Imagin roared as he charged.

The two fighters charged at each other with their blades raised. Den-O SF began the assault with several slashes at the Imagin. The Samurai Imagin was proving his namesake as he blocked each attack with a strike of his own. After the fourth attack, the Samurai Imagin began his own assault, which involved several strikes which made sparks fly off Den-O SF's chest.

"Agh!" Den-O SF groaned as he staggered back. "What's the deal?! The turtle had a way easier time against him than I am!"

'_That's because I had a longer reach than he did,_' Urataros spoke calmly despite the situation.

"Shut it Turtle Boy!" Den-O SF snapped angrily. "I don't need your help!" The Samurai Imagin slashed down his sword, forcing Den-O to block it with the length of his own blade and then he elbowed the enemy Imagin away. "I can take care of myself!"

'_Maybe so_,' Urataros retorted, '_but he was my catch first and he escaped. Now, I wish to cast the line one more time to catch him_.'

"Enough with the fishing metaphors and stay out of this!" Den-O SF growled as he swung his sword again, only for the Samurai Imagin to parry the strike and then striking Den-O SF across the chest.

'_This isn't working!_' Ranma yelled. '_Momotaros, you better switch with Urataros!_'

"What!?" Den-O SF gaped. "No way! I can beat this asshole!"

'_Well, it's my body, and I say Urataros is coming in!_' Ranma shouted.

Den-O SF grumbled as he leapt back from a slash of the Samurai Imagin and reached down to the blue button on his belt. The symbol switched from red to blue as a new tune was played. Den-O SF then held the Pass over the buckle.

"**Rod Form!**" the belt announced as Den-O SF's armor detached itself from his body and reassembled themselves to form Den-O RF's armor. While this was happening, Momotaros was sent out of Den-O's body only for Urataros to take his place. The red visor of Den-O SF also vanished, to be replaced by the blue turtle that soon shifted into Den-O RF's mask. Meanwhile, the strange man wearing a coat and hat was watching the battle. He snapped his silver pocket watch closed before pocketing it and walking away from the fight.

"Mind if I string you along?" Den-O RF said as he reassembled the DenGasher into Rod Mode. The Samurai Imagin roared and then charged at Den-O RF. Den-O RF merely swung his rod in a horizontal arc and catching the Imagin in the head before he spun out of the way of the charging Imagin.

"Stay still!" the Imagin growled as he charged again.

"Time to show off my fishing skills," Den-O RF announced as he swung his rod again, releasing a line with the tip acting as a fishing hook. The line wrapped around the blade of the Imagin's sword and with a mighty tug, pulled it out of his hands. The Imagin then got a taste of the ground via the sole of Den-O's foot meeting his face and sending him reeling onto the ground.

"This time, for sure," Den-O RF said confidently as he passed the Pass over the buckle before throwing it aside. The Imagin was slowly getting up and Den-O RF took aim.

"**Full Charge!**" the belt announced as blue energy streams entered his DenGasher. The Imagin was slowly getting up and Den-O RF took aim. He then threw the rod like a javelin, allowing it to pierce the Imagin and forming the blue turtle shell shaped barrier. The Imagin was paralyzed and unable to move. Den-O RF then did a mighty leap and came down on the Imagin, colliding into it with a powerful flying kick. The Imagin was sent flying as the barrier shattered and then he exploded.

"Well, we're done here," Den-O RF said as he was about to depart but then he noticed something wrong. "Hm?"

'_What's wrong?_' Ranma questioned.

"I think a bigger fish is about to appear," Den-O RF said seriously as the Samurai Imagin's essence came back together and reformed itself. It was now over 20 feet tall with a body rippling with muscle. Its skin was black and it has three eyes and three horns. Its hands had claws and the feet were hooves. The Gigandeath let out a powerful roar, revealing rows of sharp teeth in its mouth.

'_Not good!_' Ranma said fearfully.

"Don't worry, help is on the way," Den-O RF said as the same tune that announced his transformation began to play. A vortex appeared and a white train made up of only one car with a blue front appeared. "Here we go!" Den-O RF leapt up and landed on the back of the train, which then converted into a large robotic turtle with red fins and a black head. The turtle detached from the main body of the train and then Den-O RF took flight after the rampaging Gigandeath.

"Here we go! Launch torpedoes!" Den-O RF shouted as the four fins of the robot turtle fired blade-like lasers. "Or, lasers, whatever works," he shrugged. The Gigandeath roared in pain as the lasers rained down on it. However, it still wasn't going down. It swatted at the robot turtle with its claws, and nearly got Den-O RF. Fortunately, luck was on his side.

'_I think we need more firepower_,' Ranma suggested.

The DenLiner tune, which was also Den-O SF's tune, began to play and Den-O RF quoted, "Ask, and you shall receive."

The DenLiner soon came through another vortex and trained tracks appeared in front and under it. The blue train's tracks then converged and merged with the DenLiner's tracks and picked up speed so that it was in front of the DenLiner. Both trains then linked up. At the same time, the robot turtle also recombined with the blue train and the hatch on the top of the train opened up so that Den-O RF could enter. Den-O RF mounted the DenBird and then looked at the viewing screen before pressing the button on the bike. The DenLiner then revealed its weapons with all its glory as Den-O RF accelerated.

The DenLiner raced around the Gigandeath, firing lasers, explosives and missiles. The ammo rained down on the Gigandeath with such ferocity that it soon couldn't take much more and exploded in a large haze of fire.

A vortex then appeared and the DenLiner raced into it, vanishing into thin air. As the long train vanished along with the warrior who used it, someone came out of hiding from alongside a building that was in full view of the battle. The familiar visage of Nabiki Tendo met sunlight as she let her camera rest. She had been heading to Kuno to settle some debts he had and she stumbled across the fight. She wasn't sure what she had seen, but she couldn't deny that what she saw had some serious potential to making a lot of money. Now, if only the armored guy could come back for more photos.

----------------------------------------------

Ranma heaved a sigh as he got back into the present through a door to a convenience store. He felt pretty good at the moment. He and his 'guests' had taken down another Imagin and had protected the timeline again. If anything, he felt like he had snagged the perfect job for a martial artist like him. There was just one last thing on his mind that had been bugging him. It felt like he had forgotten something pretty important.

"RANMA, YOU WOMANIZER!" Ryoga bellowed as he charged at Ranma, apparently out of nowhere. "PREPARE TO DIE!"

'_Oh, yeah,_' Ranma sighed internally. '_That's what._'

'_Hmmm,_' Urataros snickered. '_It seems that the dirty pig cannot stand a little competition._'

'_You're the one who set him off in the first place!_' Momotaros shouted back, still sore at being unable to beat the Imagin.

Ranma just shook his head as he took a battle stance. Some things never changed. Then again, some things got even better than before.

To Be Continued...

A/N: How do you like that folks? Urataros is now officially part of the team. Next up is Kintaros and I know you guys will want to see how he reacts to Ranma and his hectic life. You'll just have to see when the chapter rolls around.


	5. The Yellow Bear Cometh

I do not own Kamen Rider Den-O or Ranma 1/2. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. Whatever you may think to the contrary, it is not true so let us move on and enjoy the fic, shall we?

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 5: The Yellow Bear Cometh

Nerima was as busy as ever with local businesses going about their days with vigor. This was one of the few places in Nerima where unusual things happened very little. Sure, there were stores which sold odd objects or concoctions, but there was rarely any kind of destruction caused by it. The people milled about like normal and as if there weren't any super-powered martial arts battles that happened at the drop of a hat. Of course, the people were ready to run away very quickly if one of those battles happened to spark up near them. Luckily, the contractors had very low prices since they had so much work nowadays.

One of the people who were walking about was Ranma in female form. One would think that the ladle lady had struck again, but today that wasn't the case. Strangely, no one was noticing her. Otherwise, the people would be giving her a wide berth. There was something odd about her appearance. She was actually wearing feminine clothes that included a tight t-shirt and a pair of jeans which showed off her hips very nicely. A pair of bracelets was on her wrists and her shoes looked rather high-end. She was also wearing a pair of glasses and her hair was slicked to the side. What was the most obvious thing which caused people to be unable to recognize her was the fact that a streak of her hair was a bright blue that matched her eyes. Everyone who knew about Ranma knew that she never did anything crazy like streak her hair or wear glasses.

"Hmmm," Ranma Blue sighed. "Now where are the stores?"

'_You know,_' Ranma growled. '_I don't mind picking up a few things for Kasumi but I don't see why it has to be you! Why are we even dressed like this?!"_

"I wanted to experiment," Ranma Blue replied. "With your amazing ability to shift genders, I am finally able to gain access to a whole different crowd of women."

'_Eh?_' grunted Momotaros. '_What the hell are you spouting now, Turtle Boy? Being a girl is bad enough but having to wear these kinds of clothes? Come on!'_

"No need to be hostile, Sempai," Ranma Blue smiled. "I'll change back soon enough. As for what I'm talking about? Well, I have found out long ago that no matter how good at flirting I am, there are a certain crowd of women that do not enjoy the company of men."

'_Oh,_' Ranma grumbled. '_You mean __**those**__ kinds of girls that like other girls?_'

"Exactly, Ranma," Ranma Blue smirked as she peered into a store window. "I am no longer limited in flirting to just the majority of women now. I can now flirt with all women."

'_Oh, no you don't!_' Momotaros growled. '_You already flirted with enough women on the way here! Enough already!_'

'_Yeah!_' Ranma agreed. '_Give me back my body already!_'

Ranma Blue wasn't exactly willing to do this, but she got incentive to ignore Ranma's request when he saw a rather delectable woman walking down the street. Well, there was another bonus to being able to change into one of the female gender. She was able to get closer to many girls and get information for future flirting escapades.

While Ranma Blue had pulled a U-turn when the pretty woman walked by, there were some witnesses who had watched the event and had sinking feelings of despair appearing in them. These two were none other than Ranma's closest (loosely put) friends, Hiroshi and Daisuke.

"Aw, man," Hiroshi groaned. "That's it. We're sunk."

"Yeah," Daisuke nodded grimly. "If Ranma's finally using his gift of attracting girls then there's nothing left for us other boys."

"Yeah," Hiroshi agreed solemnly. "So long dreams of finding a girlfriend and finding the best parts of being a teenager."

"So long ambition of meeting the possible love of my life," Daisuke sniffed as he leaned against a wall of a building. "My dreams are lost."

"Yeah," Hiroshi sobbed into his arm. "I mean, Ranma was enough of a babe magnet before but now that his hormones finally kicked in, he's raking all the girls in."

Both boys turned to see Ranma's progress with the uber-babe they had seen and found the two chatting away. The older woman was even giggling with a small flush on her face. Hiroshi and Daisuke's depression just sank lower as they witnessed this.

"Damn!" Daisuke groaned. "He's even able to snag older women!"

"He'd be my new idol if I wasn't so angry at him!" Hiroshi sighed deeply.

"It's not like we can force him to cool off," Daisuke groaned. "They guy's like a martial arts god. There's no way we could even touch him."

As the two boys were lamenting their luck with women (or lack of), a light started descending from the sky. It was a yellow orb that was about the size of a basketball. It hovered closer to the people but seemed to be a little indecisive about who to pick for a host. When it had descended to only a couple of meters away from the people, it began to hear something interesting.

"You know," someone spoke. "Most of Ranma's rivals seem to have fanclubs of their own. Well, except maybe for Kuno anyway."

"I know," someone replied. "Maybe martial arts are the only way to attract girls these days."

The orb suddenly stiffened at the mention of martial arts. It turned its attention towards the two young men who had spoken. They were conversing about something. Deciding that it didn't have anything else to do at the moment, it began to listen in.

"That makes sense for around here," Daisuke nodded.

"Yeah," Hiroshi agreed. "I was sorta hoping that I could ask Yuka out on a date but maybe if I was a martial artist I would have a better shot."

"Maybe," Daisuke shrugged. "Going out with Sayuri wouldn't be so bad now that I think about it."

"I know what you mean," Hiroshi laughed. "You know, I wish that I was a martial artist like Ranma, Ryoga, and the others."

The orb suddenly snapped to attention at hearing the wish. It began to move quickly towards the two boys. It waved through the people so the two boys wouldn't see it coming. It finally got through the crowds and slammed into Hiroshi, making him stiffen.

"Hiroshi?" asked Daisuke. "You okay?"

"I...dunno," Hiroshi answered honestly before sand started spilling from his clothes.

The sand continued to spill until it finally started shifting into a humanoid form. It seemed to have a bulky body and was wearing a jacket with fuzzy lining. Its head was covered halfway with a helmet of some kind that had a horn sticking out of the forehead and a visor acted as a pair of eyes. A pair of legs that looked just as muscular with boots on was dangling above the head of the creature. Hiroshi and Daisuke could only sit there and stare at the creature which was only there from the waist up.

"I can make that wish come true," the creature spoke while gazing at the boys.

"Huh?" Hiroshi blinked.

"Your wish," the creature repeated. "I can help you become a martial artist strong enough to attract the attention of women."

Hiroshi and Daisuke blinked for a moment in confusion. The situation then began to make sense to the two boys. Here, right in front of them, was a creature who was offering to make their wish come true. They were shocked dumb for a minute before they started to get the urge to jump for joy and cry in happiness.

"However," the creature continued. "I can only do this if it is your true wish. I can only grant one for you."

"Hey," Daisuke blinked. "Does that mean that you're only going to grant a wish for Hiroshi?"

"Yes," the creature nodded. Daisuke could only groan in defeat while Hiroshi began to get happier.

"You serious?" Hiroshi grinned. "Okay! Yeah, that's my wish! I wish to be a martial artist strong enough to match the Nerima Wrecking Crew and catch girls' attention!"

The creature nodded before he rose from the sand and began to change. He had a large number of black spots on his body, but his biceps, legs, face, and a number of other spots were a golden yellow. When he was finished forming, he was even taller and was looking down on both boys. He just seemed to look at Hiroshi before giving a brief nod.

"Very well," the creature nodded. "Then let's begin."

The creature stepped towards Hiroshi before turning into yellow energy and phasing into his body. Hiroshi stiffened slightly before his eyes turned golden and yellow streaks appeared in his hair. A serious look appeared on his face before he turned to Daisuke.

"I must borrow your friend for now," Hiroshi Yellow spoke, his voice sounding just like the creature's. "I will return him eventually."

Daisuke could only blink before his possessed friend walked into the crowds for parts unknown. Daisuke was still for a moment before he leaned onto a nearby wall. His day just felt like it was going to suck. Here he was in depression and his best friend gets a wish to make one of his desires come true.

"IS THE UNIVERSE OUT TO GET ME OR WHAT?!" he cried to the skies.

What he didn't notice was another orb hovering out the corner, spying on him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma Blue suddenly stiffened, which Ranma noticed.

'_What's wrong_?' Ranma asked.

'_There's an Imagin!_' Momotaros sent back, his senses tingling.

'_You serious!?_' Ranma yelled.

Ranma Blue looked to the woman she had been flirting with and bowed apologetically, before running towards where Momotaros' senses were leading her. Ranma decided to re-take over her body.

'_What bad timing_,' Urataros thought.

'_What good timing!_' Momotaros said gleefully.

Ranma just rolled her eyes at the two Imagin before she began roof-hopping to track the Imagin down.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hiroshi Yellow slid the door open to the room where the kendo club of Nerima High was practicing. Of course, due to his phenomenal strength, he accidentally ripped the door off its hinges. The kendo club stopped and watched as he attempted to fix his error.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Hiroshi Yellow apologized. Kuno stepped forward, a stern look on his face and pointing his bokken at Hiroshi threateningly.

"Hark, peasant! How dare you enter the sanctum of Tatewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of the Nerima High Kendo Club?" Kuno declared. Hiroshi Yellow merely bowed.

"I just came to challenge you all," Hiroshi Yellow said to Kuno, which resulted in all of the members of the kendo club laughing, with Kuno laughing the loudest.

"_You_ challenge _us_?" Kuno mocked. "What jest is this? Very well, I shall humor you."

Hiroshi Yellow smiled as the entire Kendo club surrounded him.

Kuno announced, "ATTACK!"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma was still looking for the Imagin, when Momotaros pointed her towards the school. She landed on school grounds and looked around for anything out of the ordinary. Of course, out of the ordinary in Nerima was a pretty short list, what with all the weird goings-on. It was the people who actually acted normal that got noticed around the district.

"Okay, where is that thing?" Ranma asked Momotaros.

'_It's close_,' Momotaros told her, '_I can smell him._'

'_Are you sure it isn't your feet, Sempai_?' Urataros mocked.

'_Shut it, Turtle Boy!_' Momotaros yelled angrily at the turtle-like Imagin.

"Guys! Quit it!" Ranma yelled, shutting the two up. She then noticed a sound of a brawl, "Hey, do you guys hear that?"

'_Sounds like a fight!'_" Momotaros said excitedly.

'_Is fighting all you ever think about, Sempai?_' Urataros retorted.

Ranma shook his head before he carefully followed the sounds of fighting.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With one last powerful punch, Kuno was sent flying by Hiroshi Yellow and slammed through the wall, making a hole in it. Around Hiroshi Yellow's feet were the bodies of the entire kendo club, either unconscious or in too much pain to get up. Hiroshi stepped over the each member while dropping paper napkins on each one of them.

"My strength has made you cry," he said, "Wipe away your tears with this." He stopped at Kuno and helped him out of the hole. "Sorry about that. I don't really know my own strength." He placed Kuno gently on the floor before dropping one last paper napkin on his face. "Please, wipe away your tears with this." He looked around and sighed, "Isn't there anyone worthy around here?" He went over to the door, only to see Ranma standing there in shock.

"Hiroshi?" Ranma-chan questioned, but then was interrupted as Momotaros took control. The red of his eyes glowed as she narrowed them, "Ore Sanjou!" she announced.

Hiroshi Yellow quirked an eyebrow and said, "So, you're like me."

"That's right!" Ranma Red growled. "So, let's fight!"

"My strength will only make you cry, little girl," Hiroshi Yellow spoke, bringing up a napkin. "I'll give this to you to wipe your tears away.

"LITTLE GIRL!?" Ranma Red roared before she threw her fist at Hiroshi Yellow, only for Ranma's possessed friend to catch it. Ranma Red attempted to pull it back, but Hiroshi Yellow was too strong. "Hey, you jerk! Let me go!" Hiroshi Yellow let her go as she tugged and she fell on her rear. She glared at him as he walked out of the room, "Oi! Come back here!" she stood up before giving chase.

"Sorry, but I need to find a worthy opponent," Hiroshi Yellow told her before attempting to walk away. Ranma then took over her body and leapt over Hiroshi Yellow, her blue eyes glaring.

"Okay, get out of my friend!" she demanded, "Or else!" She whipped out the Terminal Buckle. At this, Hiroshi Yellow's eyes widened.

"Den-O?" Hiroshi Yellow said, tilting his head to the side as Ranma strapped it on and pressed the red button. The DenLiner tune began to play as the emblem glowed red.

"Henshin!" she called, before swiping her Pass over the buckle.

"**Sword Form!**" the buckle announced as her armor appeared and covered her. The red peach that slid over her face then split in half as it flashed. Den-O SF then struck a pose.

"Ore Sanjou!"

(I'll be referring to Den-O SF as 'He' because Momotaros has taken over and then you can't really tell his/her gender under that armor)

The Imagin that had taken control of Hiroshi then exited from his contractor's body in a haze of yellow energy. Hiroshi blinked in confusion. He brandished an axe. "My strength will make you cry," he announced before he then charged with Hiroshi watching. Den-O SF dodged to the side as he began combining the four pieces of the DenGasher to create his weapon.

The red blade extended before Den-O SF went to charge at his opponent. The Yellow Imagin blocked with his axe before throwing a punch at Den-O SF, knocking him back and staggering.

Hiroshi was watching the battle with a mixture of confusion and awe. Who was the armored person and why was he fighting with the Yellow Imagin. Hiroshi knew he just had to put a stop to this, but how was he without getting hurt?

Sparks flew as the weapons clashed against one another. The Yellow Imagin had finally found a worthy opponent as Den-O SF was attempting to put him down. Then , Den-O SF gave the Yellow Imagin a powerful kick before leaping back to make some distance.

"Usually I'd milk this fight for all it's worth, but you've really ticked me off! So, have a taste of my hissatsu attack," Den-O SF said cockily as he held the pass over the buckle, "Part Two!"

"**Full Charge**!" the belt announced before red energy surged into the sword. The blade detached and Den-O SF swung the handle, controlling the blade's trajectory.

"NO!" Hiroshi shouted before he ran and stood in front of the Imagin as the blade came down. Den-O SF, shocked, pulled his arm back and the blade took a chunk out of the school building instead. The chunk began to fall down upon Hiroshi. However, the Yellow Imagin protectively covered Hiroshi with his own body, allowing the chunk to shatter harmlessly against his body.

Ranma, inside Den-O SF, was surprised, '_He protected Hiroshi_.'

Den-O SF scoffed "Only because if the kid dies, he goes too if the contract ain't complete."

'_But Hiroshi protected him too!_' Ranma reminded. '_Let's talk to this guy first._'

"Talk!?" Den-O SF gaped, but then his hand moved against his own will and whipped off the belt, allowing the armor to vanish and Ranma to take control again.

Hiroshi was shocked to see this and was overwhelmed before he fainted. The Yellow Imagin caught him before he landed on the ground, hard.

"I think we need to talk," Ranma said to the Imagin carefully.

"I agree. I saw his memories and you are his friend," the Yellow Imagin said.

"Come on," Ranma offered, "Let's go back to the Tendo Dojo so we can discuss this, and maybe I can get out of these clothes."

'_But, Ranma,_' Urataros whined. '_They look so good on you!_'

Ranma ignored the flirtatious Imagin's whining before she began walking with the Yellow Imagin towards the Tendo Dojo. With all the weird goings-on in Nerima, no one would bat an eye at seeing the Yellow Imagin unless he did something wrong. Besides, they could say he was a guy in a costume.

Now, how would Kasumi and Nabiki react to seeing a solid Imagin who wasn't out to kill anyone? And how would he sneak the Imagin into the house without alerting Soun, Genma and Akane?

She looked down at his Pass and got an idea. There was only one way to sneak back into the house.

-----------------------------------------------**DenLiner**------------------------------------------------

Hana was somewhat confused as Momotaros reappeared in the dining car in one of his usual moods. He seemed particularly upset for some reason or another.

"Hmmm," Urataros snickered. "It seems that I am rubbing off on Ranma more than I thought. He, she at the moment, is actually using her head."

"What do you mean?" asked Hana. "I thought you guys were tracking another Imagin?"

"We were!" Momotaros snapped. "We found him too! He pummeled the kendo club and that moron Kuno!"

"I see that as more of a service to the community rather than a crime," Urataros commented from his side of the car.

"So what happened?" Hana asked urgently, getting in Momotaros' face. "Did something happen?"

"I'll say it did!" Momotaros continued to rage. "The brat he's contracted to got in the way and protected this guy! Then the Imagin turned around and saved the kid from getting crushed!"

"The boy saved the Imagin?" Hana asked. That didn't make sense to her at all. Usually people who contracted Imagin did it after some fear and hated it when the Imagin even got close to them. Why was the boy risking his life to try and save it?

"Then Ranma boots me out as she tries to talk to the bastard!" Momotaros growled.

"Talk?!" Hana cried in shock. "Is he crazy?!"

"Welcome to DenLiner!" Naomi suddenly spoke up with the usual cheer in her voice. This caused Hana and the two Imagin to quickly look to the entrance of the car and their eyes widened while their mouths gaped.

"Hey, guys," Ranma waved as she stepped into the car. "Hope you don't mind but we have a temporary guest for a short while."

Ranam was right. Coming behind her was the Yellow Imagin that she and Momotaros had been fighting but a few moments ago. Slumped over his shoulder was Hiroshi, who was still out cold from all the shock.

"Hello, everyone," the Yellow Imagin bowed politely.

"Him and Hiroshi are sharing my pass for this brief trip," Ranma explained as she took a seat. "We'll be out of your hair soon enough."

The room was silent for the sound of the train going over the tracks. The only person who wasn't shocked dumb by this little turnabout was Naomi and she was busy preparing a new cup of coffee for the newest arrival to DenLiner. Silence reigned for a few more minutes before everyone exploded.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Hana shrieked.

"I think I may not be a great an influence as I thought I was," Urataros shrugged.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Momotaros raged.

"Hey, I need to get him inside the Tendo house somehow!" Ranma frowned. "Besides, I really doubt that Hiroshi would go out of his way to protect this guy if he was like the other two Imagin we faced."

"Ranma," Hana tried to reason. "You can't be sure about that. Some Imagin are pretty tricky."

"Call it a gut instinct," Ranma shrugged. "There's just something that I feel that connects me to him. You know, like something we have in common."

While Hana and Ranma were talking, the Yellow Imagin had taken a seat elsewhere in the car. He had placed Hiroshi down on the seat opposite of him. The hapless high school boy was still out cold from the shock he had received. The Yellow Imagin just sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. He really didn't take notice of Momotaros glaring at him.

"Oi, Bear Boy!" Momotaros called while stepping closer to the Yellow Imagin.

"Yes?" the Yellow Imagin asked.

"Don't go thinking you're all that!" Momotaros growled threataningly. "If I was in Ranma's male form then I would have kicked your ass all over the place!"

"My strength would have made you cry regardless," the Yellow Imagin retorted calmly.

"What?!" Momotaros raged. "You want to try again huh? I'll prove it to you!"

"Hmmm," The Yellow Imagin just grunted, which got Momotaros even more pissed off. "I was under the impression that Den-O was a man. Was my information wrong?"

"Oh no," Urataros, who had been listening in on the conversation, replied. "Ranma has this blessed ability to switch his gender with a splash of cold or hot water. I find it quite handy."

"It's a hassle! That's what it is!" Momotaros shouted at the blue Imagin.

"Most interesting," the Yellow Imagin nodded. "It would explain a number of Hiroshi's memories."

Naomi watched the various guests talk and make a ruckus. Hana and Ranma were arguing over the Yellow Imagin while the Imagin on the train were conversing. Momotaros would continue to rage at the Yellow Imagin while Urataros would keep calm and make conversation. The dining car was becoming a rather noisy place. All of a sudden, a loud tap caught everyone's attention and drew their gaze to the door of the dining car.

Ranma blinked as she looked at the man. He seemed to be someone who was into his late thirties to early forties. He was wearing a rather nice suit and was holding a cane in his hand. Ranma was feeling apprehension when she saw the man. There was just something in his eyes that someone just had to respect.

"Owner!" Hana gasped as she stood up quickly.

"Owner?" Ranma blinked, now confused.

"Ranma, he's the owner of DenLiner!" Hana hissed. "He's the one who kept the Hyper Pass and the Terminal Belt before you got them!"

Ranma blinked at the revelation. What Hana was saying when all the bells and whistles were removed was that this guy was Ranma's boss! Ranma immediately decided that she had better keep her foot out of her mouth or she might lose his job as Den-O.

"Ranma Saotome," Owner nodded in greeting. "I regret not having met you until now. May I ask why you have brought this Imagin aboard DenLiner?"

"W-well," Ranma muttered. "It was the only way I could think of to sneak him into the Tendo Dojo without Pop, Akane, or Mr. Tendo seeing him."

"Very well," Owner nodded. "And what will you do once you get this Imagin to the dojo?"

"Uh..." Ranma gulped. She hadn't been this nervous in a while. This guy sure meant business when it came to his train. "I figured if Nabiki could hear his story then we can find out if he's telling the truth or not. She's good at pointing things like that out."

"Hmm," Owner nodded, his attitude lightening up. "Very well. He is sharing your pass so he is permitted to be here. If he proves to not be a threat to the timeline then you might have a new ally to assist you."

"Thank you Owner," Ranma smiled. Owner returned the smile before heading to the bar where Naomi was preparing something for him. Ranma then turned to her friends with a grin. "I guess that means our plan is a go."

Hana just heaved a sigh in defeat.

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The new Imagin leapt upon a building, spying at the entire city for its target. The Imagin was clad in black armor with tall brown boots and brown gloves. On its belt was a rapier. The Imagin held the appearance of a cat and wore a cape as well. It also wore a fedora with a feather in it.

"So," the Imagin purred, "Now to grant my contractor's wish so I can cause some real damage, Nyow," The Cat Imagin rubbed its hands gleefully before leaping off the building

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"Here is some coffee!" Naomi said happily before placing the cup of coffee with yellow foam on top of it. The Yellow Imagin took a whiff of it and picked up the cup before taking sip. The Imagin looked pleased.

"It is delicious," the Imagin said calmly. Naomi was looking at him. "What?"

"You need a name," Naomi said.

"A name?" the Imagin responded.

"Yes, a name."

Ranma said in agreement, "Yeah, you need a name. We can't just call you 'You' all the time."

"But what should my name be?" the Yellow Imagin rubbed his chin.

"Well, we already got Momotaros from 'Momotaro' and Urataros from 'Urashima Taro." Naomi then gasped in realization, "I know…Kintaros!"

"Kintaros!?" everyone on the DenLiner, except the Owner, responded.

"Hm, Kintaros," the Yellow Imagin, now dubbed Kintaros, nodded, "A strong name, I like it."

"Hey, I don't wanna be associated with this bear-boy!" Momotaros shouted angrily.

"Somehow, I don't doubt that Kasumi-chan would've named him the same thing, Sempai," Urataros commented. The Oni-like Imagin grumbled in annoyance.

Hana, again, got Ranma's attention again, "Ranma, are you sure he's safe?" she was talking about Kintaros.

"Of course. Why?" Ranma said to her.

Hana looked down to the floor. Should she tell Ranma about herself? How she ended up on DenLiner. She took one look at Kintaros and looked away, her eyes narrowing. Ranma blinked in confusion.

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Ranma (now male thanks to Naomi, some hot water, and some clothes he had stashed on DenLiner for just such an emergency) stuck his head out of a door while the DenLiner sped away behind him. "All clear," he whispered to his companion as he snuck in. Behind him was Hiroshi Yellow. They quietly entered and found themselves in the dojo.

"Okay, we're in the dojo," Ranma said, breathing a sigh of relief that no one was around.

"I humbly thank you, Ranma Saotome," Hiroshi Yellow bowed.

"Please, just Ranma," Ranma said humbly before leading his companion out of the dojo. They entered the house quietly. So far, they had not encountered anyone. Genma and Soun were quietly playing shogi as Ranma and Hiroshi Yellow snuck towards Nabiki's room. They tip-toed up the steps and walked down the hall until they reached her room. Ranma knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Nabiki called.

"It's Ranma," he replied, "And we have a bit of a situation."

Nabiki opened the door to allow both Ranma and Hiroshi Yellow in before shutting it. Nabiki eyed Hiroshi and noticed the yellow streak of hair and using her sharp mind immediately made a connection.

"Imagin again, right?" she concluded.

"Got that right," Ranma nodded. He turned towards Hiroshi Yellow, "You can come out now."

In a haze of yellow energy, the Yellow Imagin exited Hiroshi's body. He was also solid, much to Nabiki's shock. Hiroshi's body fainted yet again but Kintaros caught him before he hit the floor and lay him down gently. Kintaros then got on his knees and bowed towards Nabiki.

"It's good to meet you," Kintaros greeted.

"Ranma…" Nabiki said slowly.

"Don't worry, Nabiki," Ranma assured her. "He's pretty much harmless. Hiroshi here apparently made a wish from him."

"Hiroshi?" Nabiki said, her eyes on the unconscious boy.

"Yes, that is correct," Kintaros nodded.

"Um…do you have a name already?" Nabiki asked.

"I am now known as Kintaros."

Nabiki looked Kintaros over and there was no doubt in her mind that if Kasumi was here, she would've had the same idea as well. The name Kintaros fit him perfectly.

"So, what do you want me to do?" Nabiki asked.

"Hey, you're the smart one here," Ranma said. Suddenly, sand spilled off his body and then reformed into Urataros.

"And the beautiful one as well," Urataros complimented.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," Nabiki smirked. "Nice try though. Now, why is there a contracted Imagin in our house, Ranma?"

"Well," Ranma grimaced. "I ran into him after he beat up the kendo club in Hiroshi's body. Momotaros stepped in and Kintaros assumed we were a normal girl. Momotaros didn't like it that much."

"I underestimated your power," Kintaros spoke up. He then bowed deeply towards Ranma. "I humbly apologize for the insult."

"No problem," Ranma grinned. "I don't hold grudges."

'_Well, I sure do!_' Momotaros snapped. '_Let me at him!_'

'_Quiet!_' Ranma growled internally. He then turned his attention back to the one person and two Imagin around him. "Anyway, we fought and at one point Hiroshi protected Kintaros, which made us move our attack at the last minute. Kintaros here then protected Hiroshi from some large bits of debris. It was then I figured we could at least talk to him."

Nabiki was silent for a moment as she considered Ranma's story. She could tell that he was leaving some important details out of the story. She could guess that those details involved a certain individual dressed in either red or blue armor. Nabiki decided that this wasn't the time for digging for details. Right now Ranma had brought Kintaros home for a reason.

"So what do I have to do with this?" Nabiki asked coolly.

"Well," Ranma grimaced while scratching the back of his head. "I figured we could ask Kintaros a few questions and you can tell us if he's on the level."

"I also decided to lend my expertise in this field," Urataros commented. "It sometimes takes more than one hook to catch a fish after all."

This, Nabiki could understand. Ranma was utterly hopeless when it came to lies. He couldn't tell when he was being duped and he couldn't tell a lie to save his life. Nabiki knew she could pick out a lie a mile away, but having a fellow expert like Urataros was going to help as well.

"Okay, Ranma," Nabiki nodded. "I guess I can help. You owe me though. We can discuss payment later."

Ranma shivered, fearing what Nabiki might decide would suit as payment. He then remembered that this was for the greater good and resigned himself to it. He turned his attention back to Kintaros, "So, Kintaros, what did Hiroshi wish for exactly?"

"Hiroshi had wished to become a martial artist strong enough to match The Nerima Wrecking Crew," Kintaros explained. "That way he could finally capture female interest for himself."

"...why am I not surprised?" Ranma sighed to himself. "I really should have expected something like that."

"So why did you battle the kendo club?" asked Urataros.

"I had learned that Kuno would be there," Kintaros replied. "I figured that I could challenge him and the other club members to test my strength. As I learned, my strength had made them cry."

'_Why does he keep saying that?!_' Momotaros raged. Ranma just ignored him.

"I wish I could have seen that," Nabiki snickered. "I could have made a killing off the bets."

"A shame," Ranma shrugged. "Okay, so what are you going to do when you complete Hiroshi's wish? You know, after you go to the past and stuff?"

Kintaros twisted his head to the side slightly, "Go back to the past?" he then stiffened as it dawned on him. "Oh, I had forgotten about that."

Ranma, Urataros, and Nabiki had all held back the urge to facefault. The whole point of an Imagin granting a wish was to go back to the past and change it to benefit them. Then they meet Kintaros and find that he had completely forgotten about that part.

"Wait," Nabiki frowned slightly. "You completely forgot about getting something in return for your wish? Then why are you helping him in the first place? Just out of the goodness in your heart?"

"Yes," Kintaros nodded. "Despite what some people think, Hiroshi is a little lonely. He has a desire to date a girl named Yuka. It is his belief that girls around here only pay attention to boys that are strong martial artists. That is why he made the contract with me. I believe he wishes to catch Yuka's attention."

"Okay," Ranma blinked. "That I was not expecting."

"It does explain why he wants to be as good as the wrecking crew," Nabiki nodded. "You guys get all the attention and are without a doubt the strongest fighters in Nerima. If Hiroshi can get as strong as you guys then he would get just as much attention."

"Exactly," Kintaros nodded.

"But, why did he just not wish to make Yuka his like that Gosunkugi fellow did for Akane?" asked Urataros.

"Maybe he knew he couldn't force Yuka to like him," Ranma suggested. "Who knows? Hiroshi's out cold at the moment so we can't really ask him."

Before any more guesses could be made, there was a soft knock at the door before it opened to reveal Kasumi. She had her usual smile on her face before she saw Kintaros and Urataros sitting in Nabiki's room. She was slightly surprised at the moment before she started smiling again.

"Oh!" she gasped. "Hello. Who might you be?"

"Hello," Kintaros bowed. "My name is Kintaros. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"My name is Kasumi," Kasumi bowed in return. She had been slightly disappointed to hear that this new Imagin had been named already, but whoever had done it had done a good job. She couldn't have thought up a better name herself. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Kintaros-san."

Kasumi stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. She then took a seat next to Kintaros and struck up a conversation with him by asking a few questions about himself. While the two were chatting, Ranma turned to Urataros and Nabiki.

"So what do you two think?" he asked.

"I see no leaks in his story," Urataros replied.

"Same for me," Nabiki agreed. "I think he honestly wants to help Hiroshi. That's pretty rare these days."

Ranma nodded. He couldn't help but feel happy for Hiroshi, knowing that he had actually gotten one of the few good Imagin to help him out with his wish.

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Mousse was busy making deliveries for the Cat Cafe. It didn't mean that he was particularly pleased about it. He hated working for Cologne who just didn't give any measure of respect to him. Him! Shampoo's future husband! He just couldn't understand what Shampoo saw in Saotome and what made her try so hard to make him go to her. It was obvious that he didn't deserve her and that he didn't want her. He would constantly wonder why Shampoo wouldn't just come to her senses and see that her future husband was right in front of her? He had been petitioning for her love since they were three and all she did was hit him for it. He was one of the strongest males in the village and he could barely get her to notice him.

"That shriveled old mummy," Mousse growled. "It's always people like her and Saotome who are always getting in my way. If it weren't for them then Shampoo and I would be happily married by now!"

As he was biking, a sudden shadow appeared over him. Mousse looked up through his thick frames before a large mass of...something hit him. He crashed and tumbled across the ground. The takeout was ruined, but his glasses miraculously stayed on for a change. He looked over to see what had hit him and felt some measure of surprise to see some kind of cat-like creature wearing fancy clothes and a cape looking back at him. Mousse naturally took a moment to check that his glasses were on. Satisfied that they were, he looked back at his opponent.

"Nyow," it purred. "You are Mousse, correct?"

"I am," Mousse nodded. "What of it?"

The Cat Imagin grinned as it drew its rapier, "Then it shall be my pleasure to get you out of the way!"

"Heh," Mouuse smirked as he slipped two large scimitars out of his sleeves. "I'd like to see you try!"

With a loud 'nyow', the Cat Imagin charged forward with its blade raised. Mousse likewise began his charge. Slashes were traded in the blink on an eye before both combatants ended up on either side of their battlegrounds. The Cat Imagin simply stood up while some hairs hell from its ear. Mousse likewise stood up, feeling that he had gotten out unscathed. That is, until his glasses snapped in half at the middle and fell to the ground. In the next moment, his swords met the same fate as they fell to pieces. His eyes widened in shock as he tried to turn around and draw another weapon. Before he could actually get a weapon, his view was filled with the blurry image of a leather boot.

"Prrgh!" Mousse cried as he slammed into a brick wall.

"Nyow," the Cat Imagin grinned as it raised its rapier. "I win."

"Not yet!" Mousse cried as he brought a large metal shield out of his sleeve to protect himself.

"Nyow! Nyow! Nyow! Nyow!" the Cat Imagin called as it slashed several times.

Mousse felt the slashes stop immediately as soon as they started. He dared to peek out from the shield and saw the blurry image if the Cat Imagin sheathing its sword. He took the reprieve to draw a new pair of glasses before slipping them onto his face. The Cat Imagin just continued to watch with a look that said, 'I just got the canary and the robin is next'. Mousse was slightly confused at the look. Of course, that confusion quickly vanished when he heard crumbling sounds. He turned around and was caught by surprise by the number of cut up (and heavy) bricks that came down on him.

"AUGH!" Mousse cried in shock and pain when several hundred pounds came crashing down on him. If he had gone through the Bakusai Tenketsu training, Mousse might have been able to shrug it off. Unfortunately, Mousse decided that Hidden Weapons was the perfect way to show his beloved Shampoo how strong he was. In his arrogance, he felt that if he mastered Hidden Weapons, he wouldn't have to worry about getting hit by an opponent. That foolish decision came back to haunt him every time Ranma beat him up and right now with a brick wall coming down on him.

The Cat Imagin purred in delight as it watched the debris come to a stop and the dust settle.

"One down and three to go," it purred before walking away with a swish of its cape.

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Ranma's head snapped up as Momotaro's presence took over him. His hair became messier as the red streak of hair appeared in it as his eyes flashed and turned red. He then got on to his feet.

"What is it, Momotaros-san?" Kasumi asked as she noticed the change. Momotaros had taken Ranma over so it was only appropriate to call him by the name of the Imagin possessing him.

"There's an Imagin here!" Ranma Red said to her before he went for the door. At the same time, Kintaros flew into Hiroshi's body, possessing his body once more. Hiroshi's now yellow eyes snapped open as a yellow streak appeared in his hair too. He then stood up. "Hey, what do you think you're doing!"

"As an apology towards Ranma Saotome, I wish to assist!" Hiroshi Yellow said strongly.

"I don't need your help, Bear-Boy, so get lost!" Ranma Red shouted.

"I believe you should let him, Sempai," said Urataros. Ranma Red glared at the turtle-like Imagin.

"You may need backup," Nabiki agreed. "I mean, maybe this Imagin could be stronger than Kintaros here."

Ranma Red grumbled and said, "Okay, but the Bear-Boy better stay out of my way!" He then walked out of the room, followed by Hiroshi Yellow.

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Ryoga was carrying his large backpack as he walked into town. He was finally back after weeks of traveling. This time, he would defeat Ranma once and for all and claim Akane for himself.

"Are you Ryoga Hibiki, nyow?" purred a voice and then Ryoga turned to see the strangest sight he had ever seen. However, this reminded him of the confrontation he had before with that bull monster. The person, if you could call it that, standing before him was a humanoid black cat wearing fancy looking clothes. It was leaning against the wall as it picked its teeth with one of its claws.

"So, who wants to know?" Ryoga said as he dropped his backpack. Maybe fighting whatever this thing was would be good practice for him. The Cat Imagin drew his blade and pointed it at Ryoga.

"Then I shall defeat you to grant my contract holder's wish, NYOW!" the Cat Imagin then charged at Ryoga.

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Ranma Red and Hiroshi Yellow came across Mousse's buried and unconscious body on their way to find the Imagin. Kintaros, being the noble Imagin he was, stopped to help.

"Hey, leave that idiot alone," Ranma Red growled. "We got more important things to do!" Suddenly, Ranma pushed Momotaros out as he walked over to Hiroshi Yellow and Mousse. Hiroshi Yellow was picking up the rubble burying the myopic Master of Hidden Weapons as Ranma helped him out. When they were done, Ranma pulled out Mousse and laid him against the wall.

"I think we found ourselves a clue here," said Ranma as he looked Mousse over, "I bet the Imagin we're looking for came past here."

'_His scent was here, Ranma_!' Momotaros said to him, after Ranma had looked Mousse over. '_I bet the blind duck here ended up with his ass kicked!_'

"And that Imagin's strength had made Mousse here cry," Hiroshi Yellow nodded before dropping a napkin on Mousse's face. "When he awakens, he should wipe his tears with this."

Ranma gave Hiroshi Yellow a peculiar look. Just what was the deal about Kintaros and crying? He shook his head. There was an Imagin to look for and the sudden sound of a battle alerted them.

"Come on!" Ranma shouted as he ran ahead, followed by Hiroshi Yellow.

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"BAKUSAI TENKETSU!" Ryoga cried out as he stabbed his finger into the ground, causing it to explode and shatter, sending stone flying at his unusual opponent. The Cat Imagin was agile and had good reflexes, so it had no problem dodging the flying debris. Anything to big to dodge, it slashed to pieces with its rapier. Apparently, its weapon was a slashing as well as a stabbing weapon.

Ryoga's eyes narrowed as he glared at the Cat Imagin, who appeared to be purring in amusement and Ryoga's futile attempts to defeat it. Well, now Ryoga was getting pissed. It looked like he needed to use his strongest technique: The Lion's Roar Blast.

"Shishi…" Ryoga began as he collected his depression powered ki and focused it. The Cat Imagin could feel Ryoga powering up and got a little nervous. Who knew humans were capable of such a thing?

"HAKODAN!" Ryoga yelled as he fired a blast of green depressive energy at the Imagin. The Imagin's eyes widened as the attack came barreling towards it. Then, when the attack made impact, an explosion erupted. Smoke billowed all around and Ryoga panted, hands on his knees.

"I did it," Ryoga said. Suddenly, some water splashed upon him, turning him into a black piglet. The black piglet squealed in confusion. Then, his eyes realized that in the explosion he had accidentally hit a drain and the water splashed out and hit him. His eyes then looked around for his opponent.

The Cat Imagin was staggering and stumbling. Its clothes were ruined by Ryoga's blast but it was relatively unscathed. It looked around for Ryoga when its eyes fell upon little P-chan. The Cat Imagin licked its lips as it gazed upon the piglet.

"Nyow…" the Cat Imagin purred, "Lunch." It then began stalking towards P-chan as the black piglet scrambled away as fast as its little legs could carry him. The Cat Imagin would enjoy this hunt immensely as it got on all fours and dashed after its prey.

"BWEEEE!" the little piglet cried as it ran for its life. The Cat Imagin didn't seem to have much trouble as it got closer to catching the tiny porker. It was almost upon P-chan when something came from the side and slammed into the Cat Imagin. The Imagin was sent flying before crashing into another section of the wall and making it crumble. Dust flew from the rubble.

P-chan looked up to see who had rescued him and was surprised to see that Hiroshi guy he had seen hanging around Ranma. When did he have yellow streaks in his hair? The pigtailed martial artist wasn't far behind his friend. Now P-chan was even more confused. Ranma had started putting red streaks in his hair? Weren't they blue before?

"Did you get a look at him?" Rama Red asked Hiroshi Yellow. "I didn't get to see before you tackled him."

"Yes," Hiroshi Yellow nodded. He then looked down on the black piglet. "He was chasing this black piglet."

Ranma Red looked down on P-chan and snorted in distaste. He didn't like the lost boy/pig that much. He was always taking advantage of Ranma's word of honor and being a major pervert by sleeping with Akane.

"Oh, the perverted pig," Ranma Red grumbled. "Well, it's another clue anyway."

Ignoring the outraged squeals, Hiroshi Yellow focused his attention on where he had punted the Imagin. "We can discuss it later. We must fight now!"

"First thing you said that we agree on!" Ranma Red grinned while preparing to pull out the Terminal Belt.

The pile of rubble began to shudder as the Imagin within started moving again. Hiroshi Yellow tensed in preparation of a fight while Ranma Red placed the Terminal Belt on his waist. The pile of rubble shuddered some more as the Imagin started trying to get out. Finally, the rubble seemed to explode as the Imagin rose from it.

"Nyow! That wasn't nice!" the hissed as it came into full view of the two possessed young men.

'_AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!_' Ranma screamed in his mind. The sheer volume made Ranma Red flinch.

'_Would you just calm down?_' Momotaros growled. '_He isn't that scary!_'

'_CAT! CAT! CAT! CAT!_' Ranma continued to freak out.

Ranma Red's body began to jerk and shiver as Ranma's fear continued to grow. Momotaros tried to keep in control but it was quickly slipping. His jerks were becoming more violent as Ranma continued to freak out. Hiroshi Yellow watched in confusion as Ranma Red seemed to have a spaz attack.

"Are you alright?" he asked in confusion. P-chan was watching, but he thought he knew what was wrong. He had heard that Ranma was afraid of cats, but he hadn't actually seen it in action before.

"No, I'm not!" Ranma Red growled in frustration. "Get the pig out of here! We'll meet later!"

Hiroshi Yellow nodded before snatching up P-chan. He then ran while Ranma Red did the same. Hiroshi Yellow was using the streets, but Ranma Red had dashed through a door and apparently vanished from sight. The Cat Imagin was left standing in the middle of the street just staring into space.

"Nyow?" it meowed. "How odd."

-----------------------------------------------**DenLiner**------------------------------------------------

Hana felt her fear spike slightly as she watched Ranma Red stumble through the door to the dining car. It seemed like he had been injured at first, but then she heard Ranma Red growling and hoped that it was just because he was angry.

"Momotaros?" Hana asked. "What happened?"

"Gck!" Ranma Red growled. "Get...back! GYAH!!"

Ranma Red's cry was most likely heard from all over the train. There was a blast of red energy before Momotaros was hurled straight out of Ranma's body. The red Imagin was sailing through the air before he crashed into one of the booths that were lined along the walls of the car. Naomi and Urataros were both shocked to see what had happened. Hana was now even more concerned.

"Ranma?" she asked, trying to see him through the bits of residual energy that hid the martial artist from sight.

"Meow," was all she got for a reply.

Before anyone could even blink, Ranma leaped out of the haze and straight at Hana. He was making cat noises the whole way before he managed to tackle the surprised young woman. She was knocked over onto the ground before she felt something heavy land in her lap. Once everything had calmed down, Hana could now see Ranma curled up in her lap. He meowed happily before he nuzzled her. Hana blushed an atomic red before Ranma settled down in her lap curled up in a small ball. He was purring loudly as well.

"W...what just happened?" asked Hana nervously. Her cheeks were still a bright red.

"I believe that Ranma has taken on a cat-like personality and is now expressing affection to you, Hana-chan," Urataros remarked.

"Uh..." Hana blushed. "Is..is there any reason why?"

"Ugh," Momotaros growled as he struggled to get to his feet. "Something called Neko-ken. I didn't get to see much since I was trying so hard to keep it together."

"Hmm," Urataros nodded. "Then the answer lies in Ranma's mind. I'll just be a minute."

Urataros stood up from his table and stepped closer to Ranma. When he was close enough, he turned into blue energy and dove inside Ranma's body. The purring martial artist didn't even flinch at the action. Everyone was silent as they waited for some kind of answers. Only Momotaros made noises as he tried to get the pains out of his body. Finally, Urataros came out of Ranma's body and solidified. He was quiet for a moment as he seemed to be trying to keep his cool.

"Ranma's father is lucky I don't have a body outside of DenLiner," Urataros spoke coolly. "Otherwise I would turn him into panda steaks for what he did."

Now Hana was getting very worried. Momotaros and Naomi were both reflecting that same worry for Ranma. Just what had Genma done to make Ranma act like he was now?

"It is called Neko-ken, just like Sempai said," Urataros spoke up as if he had read their minds. He then returned to his table before explaining further. "It is a martial arts technique that has been banned for a long time now. The training is very simple. All one has to do is dig a pit and throw in a couple of cats and let them starve for a few days."

"That's cruel!" Hana cried out, her anger was beginning to rise.

"That is just preparing for the technique," Urataros continued. "The actual training is much worse. All one has to do is wrap the trainee in some kind of fish product. Fish sausage, fish steaks, it doesn't matter. Then they throw them into that pit and repeat until the technique is learned."

All was silent on the train. They could not believe that anyone would put their own son through that kind of torture. It was just unthinkable!

"Ranma was only six years old at the time," Urataros added.

"WHAT?!" Momotaros raged. "I'M GONNA KILL THAT PANDA! I'LL SKIN HIM!"

Hana just looked down at the boy sleeping in her lap. She absently stroked his back, which only made him purr more loudly. Her heart went out for the boy in her lap. She may have lost everything she ever knew at one point, but Ranma never had it in the first place. All he had was an idiotic and greedy father who was a dumb as a box of rocks.

"It gets worse," Urataros spoke up again.

"Worse?" Naomi squeaked, close to tears.

"After the training is complete, the trainee, if they SURVIVE, gains an incredible fear of cats," Urataros explained. "They can't even get close to a cat without becoming overwhelmed with fear. If they can't escape the cats, then they take on a cat persona like Ranma has here."

"But...if Ranma can't get near cats," Hana gasped as she realized something.

"Then he can't fight this new Imagin," Momotaros growled. "We can't even smother the fear either! It's just too strong!"

Things did not look good for the group. If Ranma couldn't fight this new Imagin then the timeline was in very serious danger.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Whew! How's that for a cliffhanger? Kintaros makes the scene, but now Ranma has to deal with an Imagin that has taken the form of his greatest fear. Will he be able to defeat it? Well, you guys will just have to find out when the next chapter is posted.


	6. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Cat?

I do not own Ranma 1/2 or Kamen Rider Den-O. They belong to their respective creators and not me. Whoever thinks otherwise needs their heads examined. For everyone else who has common sense, I hope you enjoy my work.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Cat?

The mood on DenLiner was certainly grim. Ranma had been once again victimized by the Neko-Ken at the worst possible moment. This newest Imagin had taken on the form of a cat and Ranma had promptly freaked out. His fear had been so great that not even Momotaros could suppress it so he could fight. He had barely managed to get back on DenLiner in time before Neko-Ranma ejected him from his body. Currently, Neko-Ranma was seated on Hana's lap as she sat on one of the chairs in the booths of DenLiner. She was still stroking his back while he purred in his sleep. Naomi was looking on in concern as she petted the cat-boy as well. Momotaros was at the front end of the car, fuming as usual. It wasn't about missing out on the fight with the Imagin, it was more along the lines that someone had had the gall to put Ranma through the Neko-Ken in the first place.

Momotaros may have been a pretty rough guy, but he did care about what happened to Ranma. It went well beyond the fact that he would disappear if the boy died. It was because he and Ranma had a lot in common. They both loved a good fight and they certainly had egos big enough to fill the train car they were in. They also had a respect for the other's abilities. Momotaros knew that if anyone could take on guys like Herb and Saffron, then he had to give him respect. The fights he had seen in Ranma's memories sure looked brutal. Ranma respected Momotaros because of his abilities in fighting Imagin. The Imagin were tough and Ranma put them in the same league as Herb and Saffron. He also enjoyed Momotaros' company. He was someone who could understand Ranma's troubles since he was privy to a private and unedited view of Ranma's life.

Urataros sat on the other end of the train car, near the back. He was silent and contemplative. He and Ranma sure hadn't started off on the right foot, but they had gotten along easily enough. Ranma was a good kid and Urataros had to tip his hat off to him. Anyone who could go through the hell Ranma had been through and still stay sane, much less nice, deserved some respect at least. Urataros may have the habit of lying and stringing people along, but he at least made sure he didn't hurt anyone in the end. Seeing Genma subjugate a six-year old Ranma to the Neko-Ken made even the calm and collected Urataros want to visit great amounts of pain down on the greedy and lazy martial artist.

"Ura-chan," Naomi spoke up. "Is Ran-chan going to be okay?"

"Yes," Urataros nodded. "Once he wakes up then he'll be back to normal. We can speed up the process by dousing him with water, but I doubt he'd appreciate that."

"Let the kid sleep," Momotaros grumbled. "He's had a hell of a day."

"So, does anyone have any idea what this Imagin may be trying to do?" asked Hana.

"Dunno," Momotaros shrugged. "Me and Bear-Boy found that blind dork Mousse beaten up. He was going after Lost Boy when we caught up with him."

"Why was he going after Mousse and the pig I wonder?" Urataros asked in curiostiy. "Could it have something to do with the Wrecking Crew?"

"Wrecking Crew?" asked Naomi in confusion.

"It is the name for Ranma, his fiancées, and his rivals," Urataros explained. "They are called that because they destroy a large amount of property whenever they get into fights. I assume that the contractors in this town just love them."

"Wow," Naomi blinked.

"Sounds like we may get added to the Wrecking Crew soon, eh Turtle Boy?" snickered Momotaros.

"Maybe Sempai," Urataros shrugged. "But remember that people think we're Ranma when we fight."

"What happened to Kintaros and Hiroshi anyway?" asked Hana, looking up from the snoozing Ranma.

"Ah," Momotaros shrugged. "I told him to grab the pig and run. Who knows where he ended up."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

At that moment, Hiroshi Yellow was calmly walking down the street back to the Tendo dojo. He was holding P-chan by his bandanna and was taking a moment to check his back every so often on his travels back.

For his own part, P-chan was feeling rather depressed, which wasn't all that unusual for him. He had faced one of those weird monsters again and was beaten again. He had to be rescued by Ranma for the second time. His techniques were proving entirely useless against those creatures and he just couldn't understand why! How was it that Ranma had beaten the last one? What did Ranma have in terms of skills that he didn't? Sure, Ranma may have been faster and P-chan doubted that techniques like the Hiryu Shoten Ha would make a huge difference against those monsters. Yet, somehow, Ranma had managed to defeat that bull monster from before. Now the cat one had scared him off.

Hiroshi Yellow looked down at the piglet in his hand that was giving off an aura of depression. He quirked an eyebrow before shrugging and continuing on.

He rounded another corner and found the Tendo dojo again. He walked on and walked through the main gates. His attention was planted on the front door so he didn't have a whole lot of attention anywhere else. If he did, he would have noticed Akane coming around after finishing a training session consisting of breaking dummies and cinder blocks.

"P-chan!" Akane cried happily.

"Eh?" Hiroshi Yellow blinked as he watched Akane dash up to him. "Oh, is he your pet?"

"Yes," Akane nodded as she plucked P-chan out of his hand. Akane took a moment to examine who she thought was Ranma's friend for a moment. "When did you get a yellow streak put into your hair?"

"Uh...," Hiroshi Yellow gulped. He started looking for a way out of the little mess he had gotten himself into. "Well, it...it was...a recent acquisition."

"Really?" Akane blinked. "Well, where'd you get it? It looks good."

"Uhh," Hiroshi yellow stammered. Just how was he going to get out of this mess without blowing his or Ranma's secret?

"I recommended a place," a new voice spoke up, saving Hiroshi Yellow from spilling something he shouldn't.

Akane and Hiroshi Yellow turned to the front door of the Tendo home to see Nabiki leaning on the doorframe. She had the usual calculating look in her eyes and was totally devoid of any emotion on her face. Hiroshi Yellow wasn't sure if he should feel some kind of relief that she was there or be worried that she was. Hiroshi had a number of memories about her that were not very flattering.

"Ranma's not here at the moment, Hiroshi," Nabiki continued as she walked towards her sister and the possessed boy. "But I'm sure we can accommodate you until he comes in."

"That would be nice," Hiroshi Yellow nodded gratefully.

"Good," Nabiki smirked before she grabbed Hiroshi Yellow's arm. She then proceeded to drag him towards the house. "Then come with me. We have SO much to talk about."

Akane heaved a sigh as she cuddled P-chan. She knew that Hiroshi was probably going to get swindled out of every Yen he had before his visit was over. It was actually part of the reason why Akane never really had any friends over. Nabiki would usually strike deals with them when she wasn't looking. Akane only hoped that he would be in some kind of condition capable of telling her where he got that neat streak in his hair.

Nabiki dragged Hiroshi yellow through the house and straight up the stairs. Hiroshi Yellow didn't even try to protest. Along the way, Nabiki had snatched Kasumi from the kitchen so all three of them were gathered in Nabiki's bedroom. Hiroshi Yellow was placed in front of the two Tendo sisters.

"Okay, Kintaros," Nabiki frowned. "I can tell from how you came back here so soon without Ranma that something went wrong. What happened?"

Hiroshi Yellow heaved a sigh before replying, "Ranma and I went after the Imagin and found Mousse buried under a pile of bricks that used to be a wall. The Imagin's strength had made him cry from the utter defeat."

"Oh, my!" Kasumi gasped. "It's not nice to make people cry."

"Moving on," Nabiki huffed. She didn't need to hear how people cry at the moment.

"Anyway," Hiroshi Yellow continued. "I had found the Imagin attacking Akane's pet pig. I'm not sure why."

"...okay," Nabiki blinked. "Why would an Imagin attack Mousse and then P-chan? What kind of wish could possibly involve them?"

"What happened next, Kintaros-san?" asked Kasumi.

"That is what confuses me," Hiroshi Yellow admitted. "Ranma took one look at the Imagin and suddenly Momotaros had difficulty controlling Ranma's body. It was as if Ranma wanted to run away but Momotaros was trying to stay and fight."

"Ranma wanted to run away?" Nabiki blinked. "That doesn't sound like him. The only thing that I know of that scares him is...oh crap."

"What is it, Nabiki?" asked Kasumi, beginning to feel concern welling up for her little brother.

"Kintaros," Nabiki frowned. "Did this Imagin look like a cat?"

"Yes, it did," Hiroshi Yellow nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh my!" Kasumi gasped. "The Neko-ken."

"Right," Nabiki sighed. "I wonder how Ranma's going to deal with this. It's probably way worse than the Ghost Cat he had to deal with before."

"What is the Neko-ken?" asked Kintaros.

"A failed martial arts technique," Nabiki replied. She suppressed her usual habit of asking for money. This was infinitely more important than petty cash. "Ranma was trained in it when he was six. Basically, you wrap the trainee up in fish products before tossing him into a pit filled with starving cats. Ranma learned it, but now he's terrified of cats."

"I see," Hiroshi Yellow nodded. "What evil this technique is. Who would subject a boy to that?"

"That would be Ranma's father," Nabiki replied. "He didn't even read the manual all the way through before trying it. Personally I think he will take any shortcut in training Ranma so he won't have to do any serious work."

"Now, Nabiki," Kasumi remarked. 'It isn't nice to say things like that about people."

"I only call them as I see them sis," Nabiki shrugged. "Since he came here, Genma has avoided any serious work like the plague. He only had a job as Tofu's assistant for a brief time before he stopped going all together. He seems like the type to avoid strenuous effort unless it benefits him."

"You may be right, but it still isn't nice to talk about that in front of guests," Kasumi replied.

"Hmmm," Hiroshi Yellow pondered. "Is there anything that we can do to deal with this Neko-ken?"

"Not sure," Nabiki shrugged. "All we've really done about it is make sure Ranma avoids cats. It seemed to be working."

"Well, it did unless Shampoo-chan came visiting," Kasumi added. "She has a curse like Ranma except htat she turns into a cat."

"Really?" Hiroshi Yellow blinked. "But, isn't there any way for Ranma to tell that it's really her and not just some cat?"

"Well, Sampoo's cat form has purple bits that match her hair and those bell ties that she always wears," Nabiki replied. "The problem is that it doesn't have to be a real cat to freak him out. It just has to look or sound like one to freak him out."

"So telling him it isn't a real cat won't work," Kasumi agreed. "So even though we know this Imagin isn't a cat, poor Ranma will still be afraid of it."

"Yeah, but enough about that," Nabiki huffed. "We still have to figure out why Mousse and P-chan were attacked. It's about the only thing we can do until Ranma comes back."

--------------------------------------------------**DenLiner------------------------------------------------------**

"Ngg," Ranma groaned as he began to wake up. He was strangely comfortable and warm, but he wasn't sure why.

"Ranma?" asked Hana tenderly. She didn't want to stress the boy out any more than he was.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked as he looked up. He found himself looking into Hana's concerned eyes. It then took several more minutes to figure out that he was cuddled up in her lap. Ranma's eyes widened as his face began to match the same shade of red as Momotaros' armor.

"ACK!" Ranma cried as he leaped to his feet and away from Hana. "I'msorryI'msorryI'msorry!"

"Oh, Ranma," Urataros sighed as he stood up. The blue Imagin then walked over to his host and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "It is nothing to be ashamed about. Many young men would love to be where you were a moment ago. Savor the victory."

There was a loud slam before Urataros was slammed into one of the booths. Hana's fist occupied the space where his head used to be. Ranma was sweatdropping nervously as Hana's fist was only a few inches from his head.

"Heh," Momotaros snickered. "That's what you get, you perverted turtle!"

Ranma was still stunned silent at what had just happened. He couldn't find any words to say as Hana brought back her fist and dusted her hands off. Her expression then softened as she looked to Ranma.

"Are you okay, Ranma?" she asked softly.

"Uh…yeah," Ranma nodded. "Can anyone tell me what happened? Last thing I remember was standing with Hiroshi, waiting for that Imagin to come out."

"Oh, it did come out," Momotaros grumbled while sitting up. "The problem was that you freaked out when it did because it looked like a cat!"

"WHAT?!" Ranma cried. He then hung his head in both agitation and shame. "Great. The Neko-ken strikes again. I'm going to pound Pop extra hard when we spar again!"

"I think we can safely agree that Sempai and I would like to help you with that," Urataros commented from his seat. The room was still spinning so he didn't try to stand up just yet.

"Damn right!" shouted Momotaros. "The panda went too far with that one! When I'm in control again, I'll turn him into a panda-skin rug!"

Ranma was finding himself rather surprised by the two Imagin. They rarely agreed on anything. It made Ranma feel good when he realized that they were upset because something had hurt him.

"Okay!" Hana cried, catching everyone's attention. She then turned to pigtailed martial artist. "Ranma, can you think of anyone who would wish for an Imagin to hurt Mousse and Ryoga?"

Ranma closed his eyes to think about that question. Hana had heard about Ryoga's curse from Urataros after he returned to Denliner after wooing Akane. It had been after the memorable date with Suzume where an Imagin had arrived to try and kidnap her. After an explanation into why Ranma hadn't told anyone, Hana now thought of Ryoga as an opportunistic pig.

"I think a better question would be who _wouldn't_ wish for it," Ranma sighed. "Both Mousse and Ryoga have ticked off a whole lot of people. Mousse and his habit of not wearing his glasses usually leads him to attack or glomp random people or objects, thinking that they are me or Shampoo. Ryoga has a really bad habit of breaking things when he's depressed or embarrassed. A whole lot of people would naturally be ticked off after he broke their walls."

"My, my, Ranma," Urataros spoke. "Although I have seen memories of your past battles with these boys, I had no idea that they were responsible for such destruction over such meaningless reasons."

"Humph!" Momotaros snorted. "These punks all call themselves 'honorable martial artists' but whenever they see a chance to win, honor goes right out the window! They all piss me off!"

"…okay," Ranma blinked. It was something of a shock to actually be in continuous contact with people who wouldn't attack him on sight and actually cared about what happened to him. "Anyway, I think whoever made this wish, they have a bone to pick with the wrecking crew."

"So you think there are going to be more victims?" asked Hana.

"Without a doubt," Ranma nodded. "There a few more members of the wrecking crew that the Imagin hasn't hit yet. There's Kuno, Kumon, Taro, and me. There's also the fiancées."

"Hasn't Kuno already been defeated by the bear?" asked Urataros. "Also, the pig hasn't been truly defeated yet. Another concern would be that these people you call Kumon and Taro aren't even in town, are they?"

"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "I haven't seen Kumon since he tried to get the UmiSenKen scroll. Taro hasn't been by since he tried to hit Happosai with the Spring of Drowned Twins water. So, the only members of the wrecking crew are Ukyo, Shampoo, Kodachi, Ryoga…and me."

"But why are you even considered part of the Wrecking Crew, Ranma?" asked Hana. "You don't go on destructive rampages just because you feel like it, do you?"

"No," Ranma replied. "I'm considered part of it because all the others keep coming after my head or my hand. To lots of people, I'm the reason the wrecking crew came to be."

"Ungrateful jerks," Momotaros grumbled under his breath.

"So now we know who the Imagin is going to be after," Hana sighed. "But the main problem is how we are going to defeat it. If you can't get near it, then how are you going to fight it?"

"I'll think of something," Ranma sighed. "I usually do."

-----------------------------------------------**Nerima**------------------------------------------------------------

The streets of Nerima were relatively peaceful for a change. For the people there, it usually meant that there was a huge battle on the horizon if things had been peaceful for this long. They were all expecting something weird to happen at any moment.

"Nyow!" a feline voice cried.

Anyone who bothered to look to the source of the voice would have seen the Cat Imagin land lightly on the top of a wall. It heaved a small purr as it examined the streets, looking for more prey.

"Now where did that Hibiki boy go? Nyow," the Cat Imagin wondered as it peered over the scenery.

The Cat Imagin did know that Ryoga had a horrible sense of direction, but it also knew that he couldn't get lost in the middle of a fight unless he was moving. The Cat Imagin knew that Ryoga wasn't moving when he knocked it down with his Shishi Hokodan. So where did he go?

"Nyow," it pouted. "Where did he go? All I saw was that delicious looking piggy."

The Cat Imagin then froze. It had learned through rumors that the boy who was Den-O could change his gender, but a lot of Imagin wrote that off as stupidity. Then again, the Imagin's contract holder had a lot of memories about certain people changing with cold water.

"Hmmm," the Cat Imagin grinned. "Maybe the boy didn't run away after all."

Maybe…if this Ranma Saotome that the Cat Imagin's contract holder knew could change form with water, maybe Ryoga did as well. There was a broken fire hydrant when the Cat Imagin got back on its feet. Maybe Ryoga got drenched and changed into a pig. It would explain where the little porker had come from.

The Cat Imagin sat down and took a meditative pose. The only problem was where the little porker could be at the moment. The Cat Imagin knew that Ryoga had the odd talent of showing up at the oddest moment thinking he was halfway across the world. The problem was trying to track him down. The Cat Imagin thought about what its contract holder knew about the Lost Boy.

"Hmmm," the Cat Imagin hummed as it went through the memories. "World's worst sense of direction….can crush concrete and break walls with his bare hands…Ah! He hates Ranma Saotome and keeps ending up finding him! Puuuuurfect!"

It really was perfect. Ranma was on the list of people to get out of the way. If the Cat Imagin just hung out where Ranma Saotome lived then Ryga would eventually show up! It was perfect!

"Tendo Dojo, here I come!" the Cat Imagin purred before it leaped in the direction of the dojo.

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Kasumi had just put out another round of tea for everyone as they tried to figure out how P-chan and Mousse were connected together by the same wish. So far, neither Nabiki, Kasumi, nor Hiroshi Yellow had been able to think of any kind of reason.

"I'm stumped," Nabiki sighed. "How about you, Kintaros?"

"I have no ideas," Hiroshi Yellow commented. "Perhaps there is something about Akane's pet we don't know."

"What is there to know?" Nabiki grumbled. "He's a little porker who even after staying here for so long can't even find his way through the house without someone carrying him."

"He sounds a little like Ranma's friend," Kasumi spoke up. "Ryoga always seems to get lost and he can never find his way around the no matter how many times he comes to visit Ranma and Akane."

"Come to think of it," Nabiki pondered. "P-chan and Ryoga do have the same problem. They can't find their way anywhere….wait a sec."

"What is it Nabiki?" asked Kasumi.

"Don't you think that it's odd that both Ryoga and P-chan have the same problem with directions? I mean, I've seen P-chan wandering in the halls with boxes of crackers from Okinawa tied to his back," Nabiki explained.

"Now that I think about it," Hiroshi Yellow spoke up. "Doesn't Ryoga wear the same bandanna that P-chan has around his neck?"

"We don't even see them at the same time do we?" asked Kasumi.

"You don't think Ryoga…." Hiroshi Yellow pondered.

"It must be," Nabiki frowned.

"Oh my!" Kasumi gasped.

"Ryoga is…." Nabiki gasped. "P-chan's original owner!"

"Do you think that's why Ryoga is traveling so much?" asked Kasumi. "He's trying to find his little pet piggy?"

"Only someone close to him can have a sense of direction as bad as his," Nabiki commented.

"Oh, Akane is going to be so sad," Kasumi sighed sadly. "She just loves her little piggy."

The three continued to ponder what whoever had contracted the Imagin could have wished for. As they began pondering, there was a loud crash downstairs and a loud scream from Akane. Nabiki and Kasumi froze for a brief second while Hiroshi Yellow was already on his feet. Both of the Tendo girls recognized Akane's screams. They usually ranged from her training cries to outraged screams when she got mad at Ranma. This was one of her very rare screams of terror.

"Akane!" Nabiki and Kasumi cried as they headed for the door. Hiroshi Yellow was right behind them as a sense of foreboding came to the back of his mind.

The three made their way downstairs to where they had heard Akane scream. They were quick to head out to the dojo. As they got closer, they could hear Soun and Genma making groans of pain or whimpers asking for mercy.

Kasumi, Nabiki, and Hiroshi Yellow finally reached the dojo and found the door ripped off its hinges and the new Imagin standing in the centre of the dojo. Soun and Genma were lying on the ground covered in bruises and cuts. They had most likely tried to fight it when it went after Akane. Their reasons for defending her were questionable in Genma's case. Said heir of the Tendo Dojo was staring down the feline Imagin, staring each other down.

"Nyow," the Cat Imagin purred. "Hand over the pig, little girl. If you do then I won't have a reason to hurt you."

"No way!" Akane growled, shielding P-chan from sight. "You leave my P-chan alone or I'll show you what real martial arts are about!"

"You, nyow?" the Cat Imagin chuckled. "That's rich. My contractor has seen almost every fight that erupted in this town. You don't even come close to beating me!"

"What?!" Akane growled, putting P-chan on the ground. "Take it back! I'll show you!"

"Akane, no!" Kasumi cried in fear for her little sister.

"Hyaaaaa!" Akane cried, charging at the Imagin with her fist raised. She was completely ignorant of her sister's pleas.

"Fool," The Cat Imagin chuckled as it watched Akane charge.

Akane curled her fist and sent a devastating haymaker that she was positive would wipe that stupid smirk off the creature's face. The result that she got was very different than what she was expecting.

In a blur of movement, the Cat Imagin brought up its hand and captured Akane's fist. The Tendo heir was somewhat stunned to see that someone had actually managed to catch her punch. She tried to pull her arm back again, but the Imagin just kept a solid grip on her hand. Akane's rage bubbled as she heard the Imagin chuckle again.

"Here's a free tip, little girl," it chuckled, leaning close to Akane. "Dig yourself out of the bottom of the barrel before trying to fight me again, nyow."

Akane wanted to retort like she did with anyone who belittled her skills, but she was cut off before she could even begin. The Cat Imagin gripped the front of her gi and with one swift movement, hurled Akane straight into the wall of the dojo. The sheer force of the attack had even managed to crack the wall. Akane was knocked out on impact and slumped to the ground.

"Nyow," the Cat Imagin purred before turning back to an angry P-chan. "Now for the little piggy."

"Akane!" Kasumi and Nabiki cried in shock and fear for their sister.

"Hraaaaah!" Hiroshi Yellow bellowed before he charged past the two elder Tendo girls and straight at the Cat Imagin.

"Nyow?" the Cat Imagin blinked before a punch from Hiroshi Yellow connected with its face. "Nyoooooow!"

The Cat Imagin was pushed back by the force of the blow that Hiroshi Yellow used. The surprised Imagin was actually forced to the ground. Nabiki and Kasumi had only watched with shock at the power Hiroshi Yellow was throwing around. Obviously Kintaros was stronger than they had first thought.

"Ouch," the Cat Imagin grumbled as it shakily got to its feet. It then got a good look at Hiroshi Yellow before snickering.

"I recognize you, nyow," the Cat Imagin smiled. "You're Hiroshi aren't you? Or at least, you are the Imagin contracted to Hiroshi anyway."

"That is correct," Hiroshi Yellow nodded. "What does it matter?"

"Nothing to me," the Cat Imagin shrugged. "but I can imagine the surprise on my contract holder's face when he finds out that his own best friend is trying to keep his wish from coming true."

"What?" Hiroshi Yellow blinked in confusion. After a moment, it began to dawn on him. "No. You can't mean Daisuke is the one who made a wish!"

"To believe or not is up to you," the Cat Imagin shrugged with a growing smile. "As for me, I have a little piggy to get out of the way!"

With a sudden burst of speed, the Cat Imagin leaped at P-chan, scooping the surprised pig up in its arms before leaping out of the dojo and towards the house.

"I will not let you escape!" Hiroshi Yellow cried before following.

The possessed boy gave chase to the feline Imagin who held the tiny pig hostage. The Cat Imagin as proving to be quick, but whatever obstacles that it tried to slow the boy down with were crushed underfoot by Hiroshi Yellow. Kintaros' unbelievable toughness was proving to be good for the human body.

The Cat Imagin didn't let it faze it as it dashed through the halls for the closest source of hot water to find. It the immediately dashed into the furo before Hiroshi Yellow barreled through he doors, unsurprisingly breaking them. The possessed boy started to stare down the Cat Imagin as it held a struggling P-chan over the furo which was filled with hot water.

"Release the pig now!" Hiroshi Yellow growled.

"Nyow, gladly," the Cat Imagin laughed before dropping P-chan into the hot water of the furo. The air was still for a few seconds before the inevitable happened.

"Ahhhhh!" Ryoga cried as he leaped from the water butt-naked. "Hot! Hot! Hot!"

"What?" Hiroshi Yelllow blinked in confusion.

"I knew it!" the Cat Imagin purred in glee. "You do change with hot water!"

"Argh!" Ryoga growled as he glared at the Cat Imagin. "You'll pay!"

The Lost Boy lunged at the Cat Imagin with a blow aimed to take its head off. The Cat Imagin just purred before dodging the blow and grabbing Ryoga by the throat. The Lost Boy was then slammed into the tiled floor like a ton of bricks. He was knocked out almost immediately. The Cat Imagin grinned before standing up again.

"Two down and two to go," it purred.

The Cat Imagin then lunged forward and knocked Hiroshi Yellow back through the changing area before dashing past him and out into the hall. From there, the Cat Imagin went into the yard before leaping over the wall and out of the property.

"Hnnn!" Hiroshi Yellow growled as the Imagin vanished from sight.

Hiroshi Yellow then raced back to the dojo. Since there wasn't an Imagin to fight anymore, he might as well go to see if the Tendo girls needed some help. He reached the Dojo door and was about to open it when he started hearing a train echoing in the air. Before he could react, the dojo door slid open to reveal Ranma and Hana stepping out into normal time. Both had shocked looks on their faces that matched Hiroshi Yellow's.

"Kintaros?" Hana blinked.

"What are you doing here?" Ranma asked. He then spied the damage done to a number of the garden ornaments and other such things that were littering the property. "What happened here? Don't tell me Ryoga got in a fight over something again."

"Worse," Hiroshi Yellow sighed. "It was the Imagin."

"What?!" Hana cried. "Is everyone okay?"

"The fathers and Akane Tendo are out cold since they tried to fight it to protect the little pig," Hiroshi Yellow continued. His face then took a rather surprised tone. "Did you know that P-chan is really Ryoga Hibiki? I was really surprised. The Imagin dropped his pig form in the furo and out comes Ryoga. It was really something."

"He got Ryoga, didn't he?" Ranma groaned.

"He did," Hiroshi Yellow nodded gravely. "Oh! But I do know who this Imagin's contract holder is!"

"Really?" Hana blinked, determination filling her eyes. "Who?"

"It is Hiroshi's best friend, Daisuke!" Hiroshi Yellow proclaimed.

"WHAT?!" Ranma and Hana both cried at the same time. Ranma then took the lead in his arguments. "Why would Daisuke have anything against the Wrecking Crew? Ever since I've shown up they've been okay friends and drooled over my fiancées!"

"I don't think Daisuke was the type who would intentionally harm someone," Hana agreed.

"Well," Hiroshi Yellow shrugged. "Some Imagin do try to take a short route in granting a wish. Maybe this one is doing that."

"It doesn't matter right now," Ranma sighed. "The point is that we have a lead on the guy who contracted that Imagin. I say we split up and try to find him."

"Right!" Hiroshi Yellow and Hana agreed.

With that, Hana and Hiroshi Yellow started running for the exit of the property. When they got to that point, they both split up, trying to find Daisuke. Ranma took a more direct route by leaping over the stone walls surrounding the property and roof hopping, hoping to find a sign of his friend with a bird's-eye view. The clock was ticking and they needed every second.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Cat Imagin strolled lazily onto the school grounds of Furinkan High in hopes of finding its next target. Everything was calm for a change since no one was there. Even the after-school clubs had gone home. Still, there was the chance that someone was there so the Imagin was determined to find out whom. It walked closer to the school, straining its ears, trying to hear if someone was still there. Everything remained calm and the Imagin was about to leave when it heard several groans coming from near the gym. Purring excitedly, the Cat Imagin raced over to find the source.

It moved around to the side of the gym and managed to peek inside. It noticed a sliding door that shouldn't have been part of the usual gym, but had been torn right off its hinges. Sneaking inside, the Cat Imagin moved across the floor and walked to the open doorway. It idly noticed the sign which told everyone that this was where the kendo club was meeting.

"Nyow?" the Cat Imagin meowed as it looked inside.

All the Kendo club members were strewn across the floor. They were all awake and clutching what looked like small paper napkins in their hands or had them on their bodies. The latter was true for the members in too much pain to move. A few of them were moving, but the going was slow since they were still in pain. At the back of the room and in front of a hole in the wall, the captain of the kendo club was still out cold, a silent testimony to whoever had attacked him. The Cat Imagin knew how much it took to put down the delusional kendoist, but for him to be out cold like this for so long was truly a marvel.

"Hmmm. Who did this I wonder?" the Cat Imagin purred as it spied Kuno sprawled out on the ground. It then shrugged and turned to leave. "Oh well, nyow. Three down and one to go. You're next, Ranma Saotome."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma continued to hop over rooftops in attempts to find his friend. He knew of a few places that Hiroshi and Daisuke liked to hang out, but Ranma had never been there before. Usually it was because some rival would hunt him down before he got there or Akane had been kidnapped again. Eventually Ranma gave up on going to those places like arcades and malls because his rivals didn't care where they fought just so long as they could take him down. Ranma may not have been a genius, but he knew what a lawsuit was. His father had been threatened with them enough times before skipping town during the training trip.

"Where the heck is he?" Ranma grumbled as he watched Nerima from the rooftops.

Daisuke wasn't home. A quick stop at his place revealed that fact quickly enough. So Ranma was now forced to look the old fashioned way for his friend. He had been at it for a while now and there wasn't even a sign of him anywhere.

"Where else can he hang out?" Ranma sighed.

His answer suddenly came when he heard a small 'ding' from a nearby convenience store. Naturally tuned to see where all noises came from less they be another rival or fiancée out to get him, Ranma turned to the source of the noise. He sweat dropped slightly at seeing Daisuke exiting the store with a bag of goods. Deciding not to kick this gift horse in the mouth, Ranma leaped down to ground level and rushed over to his friend. Daisuke immediately took notice of him.

"Hey, Ranma," he grinned. "What's up?"

"A lot, Daisuke," Ranma sighed. "I really have to ask you a question."

"Okay," Daisuke nodded. "Go ahead."

"Okay, this is going to sound a little weird, even for around here," Ranma explained. "But I really need to know if you've made any wishes from a creature made out of sand."

"Huh?" Daisuke blinked. "How'd you know that? Wait...Hiroshi told you about his, didn't he? Yeah, I did. So what?"

"Crap," Ranma groaned tiredly. "Okay, Daisuke. What was the wish? I need to know the exact words you used."

Daisuke was feeling a little panicked by how serious Ranma was acting. Usually the pigtailed martial artist was confident to the point of arrogance about whatever he did unless it got him mad or was concerning someone he cared about. Right now it seemed that Ranma was being incredibly serious about his questions and Daisuke started getting a bad feeling in his gut about what was going on.

"Um," he pondered for a moment. "My wish was to be able to get a date without having to worry about the male members of the Wrecking Crew ruining my chances."

"Huh?" Ranma blinked. "Ruining your chances? What do you mean?"

"You're kind of dense and your rivals are too focused on their obsessions to notice so I'm not surprised that none of you know," Daisuke sighed. "With the exception of Kuno, you and your rivals have pretty much snagged almost every girl in school! It's impossible for us boys who aren't part of the Hentai Horde to even get a date since they are either scheming to get you out of your engagements or trying to get your rivals paying attention to them."

"What?!" Ranma blinked incredulously. When did this happen?

'_You mean you couldn't tell?_' Urataros asked incredulously. '_I thought you didn't return their advances because you were afraid of being pounded by your fiancées.'_

'_Not helping!_' Ranma snapped back before returning his attention to Daisuke.

"Well, I guess you really aren't that ignorant of it anymore," Daisuke sighed as he looked at Ranma with a plain stare.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked again. He was now very confused at what his friend was talking about. Half of the things he had been talking about didn't make sense at all. Not to him anyway.

"Don't play dumb, Ranma," Daisuke pressed. "Both me and Hiroshi saw how you were flirting with that older chick today. Not to mention how all the other girls crowd around you at school when none of the fiancées are around. Just when did you clue in and get so good at flirting anyway?"

'_I can thank the blue turtle living in my head for that,_' Ranma commented sourly.

'_You're too kind,_' Urataros sighed.

'_Oh, shut up already!_' Momotaros raged at his fellow Imagin.

"So why do you want to know what I wished for?" asked Daisuke curiously.

"A pretty good reason," Ranma replied. "That thing you made a wish on slammed down both Ryoga and Mousse. I don't know what it might do to Kuno, but I can tell you it wasn't a pleasant experience."

"What?!" Daisuke gaped. "No way! That can't be! I only wished that I didn't have to worry about you guys!"

"What better way to go about it than to put us in the hospital?" Ranma grumbled.

"You mean that thing is strong enough to do that to Ryoga?" Daisuke blinked. "Holy cow! I had no idea it would do that! I'm so sorry! Did it hurt anyone else?"

"No and apology accepted," Ranma sighed, trying to calm his friend down. A panicking male was easier to deal with than a weeping female in his mind. "These things aren't exactly ones for detail unless you word it just right. But I really need to know Daisuke, just who do you consider in your way of getting a girlfriend?"

"Uh..well, there's Mousse who the girls think is 'so romantic in staying faithful to his love'," Daisuke began. "Then there's Ryoga who's just 'too sweet'. There's Kuno because he's a target for girls outside of Furinkan with his poetry spouting and stuff. And then there's..."

"Me," Ranma finished sourly.

"Sorry, Ranma," Daisuke gulped. "If I knew it was going to do this then I wouldn't have made the wish!"

"Well, sorry isn't going to make it go away now," Ranma sighed.

'_A fat ass-kicking will!_' Momotaros chuckled darkly. Despite trying to sound upbeat, which was odd enough as it was, Momotaros could still sound pissed off that the Neko-Ken was keeping him from fighting this new Imagin. Ranma just ignored the grumbles from his two 'houseguests' for the moment.

Before Ranma could get any more details out of his friend, a sound cut through the air. A sound so horrible was heard that it sent Ranma running behind his friend to keep something between himself and the source of that noise. It was the noise that birds and fish all over the world came to fear, provided they weren't bigger than the one making the sound.

"Nyow!" was the awful cry.

"AAAHHHHH!" Ranma screamed before leaping behind Daisuke, hoping to use him as a shield.

"Huh?" the clueless boy blinked at the sudden reversal in Ranma's attitude.

Daisuke looked around, trying to find out where the noise had come from. Living in Nerima for a good portion of his life, Daisuke instinctively looked up to see if the noise was coming from that general direction. One never could tell if some kind of martial artist or one of their weapons were going to come falling from the sky at any given moment. His instincts didn't fail him when he saw a humanoid figure on top of a building. It leaped off its perch and landed on the ground in front of the two. Ranma whimpered in fear while Daisuke immediately recognized it as the being he had made his wish on.

"Nyow," the Cat Imagin purred. "One more and they shall be out of your way."

"Uh...," Daisuke shivered. The thing had been freaky enough to look at before but now it was downright frightening. "I think we'd be better off if we cancelled this wish business."

"Oh?" the Cat Imagin chuckled. "Sorry. I can't do that. The only way to end the contract is either to kill the one holding it, or to finish it."

"What?!" Daisuke cried, stepping back. "You have to be kidding! You've been pounding the crap out of the martial artists! I didn't wish for that!"

"You wished for them to be out of the way," the Cat Imagin pointed out. "You didn't state how they were to be removed. I merely decided that putting them in the hospital would be the best, nyow."

Well that's not how I wanted it!" Daisuke shouted back. He hoped his displeasure with the methods of the Imagin's choosing might get him out of the contract he made.

"Well too bad, nyow," the Cat Imagin growled. "There's only one left and you can't stop me now! Give me Ranma Saotome so I can get him out of the way!"

"No way!" Daisuke frowned. "I'm not going to let you hurt him because of my stupid wish!"

"Nyow! Get out of my way!" the Cat Imagin hissed. It was prepared to teach the boy a lesson before it was interrupted quite suddenly.

"MEEEEOOOOOWWWWW!"

"Huh?" both Daisuke and the Imagin blinked as they looked towards Ranma.

The pigtailed boy was crouched onto all fours and was in a position similar to what a cat would be in if it was cornered. Ranma's eyes had also taken on a feral gleam. They also showed a lot of hostility towards the Imagin that was standing in front of him. Daisuke could already tell that the Imagin was in for a world of hurt. Ranma had slipped into the Neko-Ken!

"Now this is odd," the Cat Imagin spoke as it peered at the cat-like boy. It then just shrugged as it drew its sword. "Oh well, nyow. I'll still get you out of the way."

"Fffftt!" Ranma hissed before leaping at the Imagin with his 'claws' outstretched.

Now the fur was really going to fly.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Both Hana and Hiroshi Yellow were racing down the streets in attempts to find Daisuke. Hana had no choice but to be with the Imagin-posessed boy since he knew what Daisuke looked like.

"Daisuke!" Hana cried out into the air.

"Where can he be?" Hiroshi Yellow sighed as he peered at every corner.

"You don't know?" Hana sighed with a slight twitch in her face. "You're possessing his best friend! You have to know!"

"I know where Daisuke likes to go but I don't know where he is at the moment!" Hiroshi Yellow retorted, trying to defend himself.

Hana sighed tiredly and was about to shout again when a sudden explosion ripped through the air. They both turned to see a plume of dust rising into the air. They both looked at each other before turning back to the sight of the rising dust.

"I think Ranma just found the Imagin," Hiroshi Yellow remarked casually. His words managed to snap Hana out of her shock. She immediately turned to look at Hiroshi Yellow.

"Well?" Hana asked impatiently. "Let's go! Ranma may be fighting the Imagin and I'm the only one who can snap him out of Neko-Ken at the moment! Let's go!"

"Oh!" Hiroshi Yellow gasped. "Right!"

Both Hana and Hiroshi Yellow then began to make tracks towards the site of the explosion. It was no mystery that Ranma was involved. Hana only hoped that it was the Imagin he was fighting and not some selfish rival who was out for Ranma's head for reasons they had made up in their mind.

----------------------------------------------------**DenLiner**----------------------------------------------------

"Ikuzo! Ikuzo! Ikuzo!" Momotaros cried out as he stood on a table in the dining car. Both Naomi and Urataors were at the front of the car, watching him go wild.

"What's Momo-chan doing?" asked Naomi curiously.

"Ah," Urataros smiled. "Ranma has caught up with the Imagin and slipped into Neko-Ken. Since we can't enter Ranma's body while he is in this form, Sempai is trying to give him some orders instead."

"No!" Momotaros cried suddenly. "The face, you baka! The face!"

Both Urataros and Naomi continued to watch in interest at what their red friend was doing. Momotaros was now swiping his hands like a cat. He was most likely trying to influence Neko-Ranma in some way or another.

"Momo-chan is sure enjoying himself!" Naomi smiled before turning back to the station.

"Sempai likes his fights," Urataros shrugged as he leaned back, waiting for this battle to be over.

----------------------------------------------------**Nerima**-------------------------------------------------------

"Meeeeeoooooowww!"

"Nyooooooooooowwww!"

Both Neko-Ranma and the Cat Imagin were in the middle of a literal cat fight. Both of them were clawing at each other for all their worth. At first the Cat Imagin tried to use its sword, but Neko-Ranma batted that away before attacking head on. It then degraded to both of them attacking like rabid felines. Currently, both of them were rolling in the dirt in attempts of taking the other down. Daisuke has a safe distance away watching the fight.

"You're beginning to annoy me, nyow!" the Cat Imagin hissed before it threw Neko-Ranma a short distance away.

"Meeow!" Neko-Ranma hissed before preparing for another attack.

"Come and get me, kitty!" the Cat Imagin hissed, getting onto its knees.

Neko-Ranma didn't need an invitation as he lunged with the intent of destroying the intruder to his territory. Soon enough, another hissing catfight began. As the two combatants started their attempts at maiming each other again, Hana and Hiroshi Yellow came around the corner to see what was happening. In a split second, Hiroshi Yellow spied Daisuke pressed against a wall of a nearby building.

"Daisuke!" Hiroshi yellow cried, catching the other boy's attention. The possessed boy came running over to his host's best friend with the same determination in his eyes as when they first met. "I am glad to see that you are alright! I must know however, were you the one who contracted this Imagin?"

"Yeah," Daisuke nodded quickly. "Ranma asked me the same thing. I had no idea that this thing was going to hurt those guys. I thought it would just make the other girls forget about them for a while."

"Imagin aren't very precise with how they grant a wish," Hana sighed as she stepped closer to the duo. "This one just thought taking out your rivals would be easier."

"I would never be that sloppy!" Hiroshi Yellow huffed. "My contract is a vow that will be upheld! I will not stop until my holder is entirely happy with the results!"

"NYYYOOOOOW!"

All conversation stopped as the Cat Imagin let out a yowl after Neko-Ranma dug his claws into its arm. The Imagin thrashed around wildly before throwing Neko-Ranma away again. The pigtailed martial artist only shook his head and got back, ready for more.

Both combatants looked like they had seen better days. The Cat Imagin's cape was even more torn up and his hat had taken some damage as well. Needless to say the rest of him looked just as bad. Ranma looked no better since he was beginning to look like the day his father had thrown him into the pit to learn the technique. He had several tears in his clothes and he had scratches all over his body.

"MEEEOOWW!" Neko-Ranma yowled before going for another lunge at the Cat Imagin.

Neko-Ranma went into another great leap which was aimed directly at the Cat Imagin's head. His 'claws' were outstretched and it seemed that the Cat Imagin wasn't about to get out of this next assault without some more injuries already added to the inventory that it already possessed.

However...

Before the Cat Imagin took the blow, it suddenly ducked underneath the blow and used a well-placed uppercut which collided directly with Neko-Ranma's chin. The sound of impact was loud as the force of the blow sent the pigtailed martial artist through the air yet again, but this time had him hitting a brick wall face first. The slam and resulting crunch made the three witnesses wince in sympathy. Ranma would definitely be feeling that one tomorrow.

Neko-Ranma didn't stir as his body landed flat on the ground. The Cat Imagin waited for a moment to ensure that Ranma wouldn't be getting up before purring in delight.

"All four down," it purred, turning to the witnesses. "Contract complete. They are out of your way, Daisuke."

"Not if I can help it!" Hiroshi Yellow growled.

Hiroshi's body flared yellow before Kintaros appeared in front of him, brandishing his axe. Hiroshi stumbled slightly before Daisuke and Hana helped him gain his balance. Kintaros continued to stare at his opponent, who just stared bag.

"Raaaaaahh!" he cried suddenly and charged at the Cat Imagin in his attempt to defeat it.

"Nyow!" the Cat Imagin meowed before it summoned its sword back in a brief flash of light. It then lunged for Kintaros with its own weapon raised.

Kintaros reared the mighty weapon back and went for a chop that would have sliced the Imagin in two. Unfortunately, the Cat Imagin leaped over the strike AND Kintaros, before running right towards Daisuke. The boy was frozen still with fear at watching the creature come at him. The Cat Imagin purred before waving its sword. The action caused Daisuke to split down the middle and reveal a green portal. The Cat Imagin then dove right through before Daisuke closed back up again.

"Oh, no," Kintaros gulped.

"What the heck just happened?!" Hiroshi cried, watching his best friend slump down to the ground.

"It went back to the past!" Hana cried before pulling out a ticket and holding it up to Daisuke's head. A small image of the Imagin appeared on it along with the date, 09-09-06. Hana nodded before turning back to look at Daisuke.

"Daisuke," she said seriously. "What happened on the Ninth of September, 2006?"

"I can tell you that," Hiroshi answered. "That's the day me and Daisuke met."

"Among other things," Daisuke sighed as he recalled the time.

-----------------------------------------------------**Flashback**--------------------------------------------------

_Daisuke leaned on the wall outside the doors of Furinkan. His class had been let out early so he placed himself strategically so to get his best shot. He had worked up his courage for a week and now was his moment of truth. The final bell rang for everyone and the doors soon slammed open to the numerous students all wanting to get out of school and back home. Daisuke's eyes scanned the crowd until he found his target. Yuka, Akane, and Sayuri were walking towards the main gates and were splitting apart form the crowd._

_"Okay, Daisuke," he muttered to himself. "Don't choke now."_

_Taking another sigh, Daisuke headed out to try and talk to the girl he wanted to go out on a date with. He cut through he crowds quickly in hopes of talking to Sayuri. He also hoped that Akane would let him speak two words to her friend because she went on the warpath since Kuno started up the Hentai Horde that morning. As he got closer, he was about to call out Sayuri's name when he was suddenly cut off by none other than Kuno._

_"Hark peasant!" he frowned. "Does thou believe that he shall ask the fierce tigress Akane Tendo out?"_

_"Huh?" Daiskue blinked. "No! I'm going to ask...!"_

_"Enough" Kuno barked. "I see the truth! You plan to try and take AkaneTendo for yourself! I have already dictated the terms that no one may date her unless they defeat her in battle! If you cannot do that then you are not worthy of her!"_

_Daisuke wanted to say something but found himself cut off by two members of the rugby team when they tackled him from behind. Daisuke's world went blurry for a while, but when he regained consciousness, he found himself tied to a tree. He looked around and noticed a guy with shaggy hair tied up next to him._

_"Tried to ask Akane out on a date?" Daisuke asked the boy._

_"Na," the boy sighed. "I was trying to ask her friend Yuka, but that moron Kuno thought I was going to ask Akane and had some guys from the soccer club attack me."_

_"Me too," Daisuke sighed. "Only I was going for Sayuri and it was the rugby players who got me."_

_"I hate that guy," the boy growled._

_"Join the club," Daisuke mumbled._

_"I'm Hiroshi by the way."_

_"Call me Daisuke."_

-------------------------------------------------**End Flashback**------------------------------------------------

Hana found herself stewing over Kuno's delusions yet again since the Samurai Imagin incident. She just couldn't understand how one boy could have so much influence, even if he was rich and the principal was his father. It just didn't make sense why anyone would listen to him.

"I never forgave Kuno for that," Daisuke grumbled. "I sure was happy when Ranma cleaned his clock."

"Same goes for me," Hiroshi agreed. He then turned thoughtful. "So what happened to that other Imagin?"

"Right now?" asked Hana. "He's probably going to appear sometime during that memory Daisuke just told us."

"Really?" Hiroshi blinked. "Do you think Kintaros can go there and stop him?"

"Only if your strongest memory is the same as Daisuke's or earlier," Hana replied. "Why?"

Hiroshi didn't answer. His face only turned to a determined one as he turned to Kintaros. The shaggy-haired boy walked right up to the yellow Imagin which had been possessing him for the better portion of the day and planted himself right in front of him.

"Kintaros," he spoke seriously. "Your contract is complete!"

"Eh?!" Kintaro gasped. "But-!"

"No buts, Kintaros!" Hiroshi interrupted. "You completed the contract when you used my body to fight that other monster. I was awake when you did so I know that I can do the same moves you did. Besides, fighting something that beat Ranma is good enough for me! So, get back to my strongest memory and keep that cat thing from killing someone!"

Kintaros was silent for a moment as he contemplated what Hiroshi had told him. The wish itself was to become a martial artist strong enough to match the Wrecking Crew, but Ryoga was part of it and all he did was throw around his brute strength with punches and kicks to break things. Kintaros had already shown Hiroshi how to do that just by fighting Kuno and the Cat Imagin. That certainly was enough to fulfill the wish and both he and Hiroshi wanted to stop that other Imagin, so...

"I understand," Kintaros nodded, popping his neck. "Contract complete."

With a nod of his head, Hiroshi split open before Kintaros squeezed his way through the portal before it closed again. Hana was there in a flash with another card which soon revealed a picture of Kintaros with a date that matched the one with the Cat Imagin on it.

Hiroshi, seeing Hana's shock just grinned, "Hey, if a poetry spouting lunatic stopped you from asking for a date from someone you liked, you'd remember it too."

Hana wanted to reply, but a growling noise from Ranma caught her attention. She looked over to Ranma's body and found that he was already on his feet again, shaking his head. However, his hair was slicked back with a familiar red streak in it. His eyes had also turned red. This wasn't Ranma anymore. This was Ranma Red!

"Ore Sanjou!" Ranma Red growled. "Where is that bastard!? I'm gonna tear him a new one!"

"He's already flown to the past, Momotaros," Hana frowned. "You're a little too late!"

"Kuso!" Ranma Red raged before he grabbed Hana's hand and started dragging her to the nearest door. "Let's go already! I've got a cat to skin!"

"Hey! Ow! Watch it!" Hana cried, trying to keep her footing.

----------------------------------------------**September 9th, 2006**-------------------------------------------

Hiroshi and Daisuke were still tied up to the tree that Kuno and the more dedicated members of the Hentai Horde left them on. They were currently making small talk while they waited for a janitor, teacher, or a student who stayed behind to find them so they could get out and go home. After a couple of minutes, the boys began to feel something odd happening to them.

"Hey, Daisuke," Hiroshi spoke up. "There's sand coming out of your clothes."

"Really?" Daisuke asked, looking at himself. He then noticed the same odd occurrence that was happening to his new friend. "You're treading sand too. Where'd that come from?"

The sand continued to fall from both boys and piled at their feet. The sand that had piled up under Daisuke was the first to move. It moved forwards with a mind of its own a couple of meters before piling up on its own. It continued to rise until is shaped itself into a humanoid cat form. It was dressed in fancy clothes which became colored as it became flesh and blood.

"Nyow," the Cat Imagin purred. "Now to really have some fun!"

Hiroshi and Daisuke both were stunned silly at seeing what had happened. Nerima was filled with all sorts of weird stuff, but seeing a cat man rise out of a pile of sand was a new concept for the two Nerima natives.

Since they were too stunned to pay attention to anything else that was going on around them, they didn't notice when the second pile of sand was moving directly towards the solid Imagin. Sand was still piling together before it suddenly erupted into another Imagin. This one was black and yellow with a visor over its face and a horn coming out of the forehead. It was also wearing a jacket which had fur lining on it. It was also holding a large axe. It only gave the two boys more incentive to wet themselves if they managed to get their bodily functions rewired to their brains.

"Stop!" Kintaros bellowed at the Cat Imagin.

"Nyow!" the Cat Imagin hissed as it drew its sword and faced the Yellow Imagin. "Now I'm getting REALLY annoyed!"

"Your annoyance means nothing!" Kintaros huffed before cracking his neck. "In this battle, my strength will only make you cry, feline!"

"I'm not crying!" the Cat Imagin hissed before it leapt at Kintaros with a feral look in its eyes.

Hiroshi and Daisuke were the unwilling witnesses to this new battle. Of course they were scared out of their minds at what they were seeing in front of them. On the other hand, they were witnessing something out of a fantasy show where costumed heroes would fight monsters on a regular basis. They were paying rapt attention to what was happening right before their eyes. This was something that they were not going to forget anytime soon.

Over at the school building itself, a man in a brown coat and a brown hat was leaning on the side of the building. He was holding a silver pocket watch in his hand and was intently viewing the battle between Kintaros and the Cat Imagin.

As Hiroshi and Daisuke paid rapt attention to something besides girls, they noticed a motor sound echoing through the air. They turned their heads to see what it was, but the tree was obstructing a good portion of their view. The sound continued to grow until it sounded like it was surrounding them. They tried to see what was coming, but hat they got was the red armored visage of Den-O SF riding onto the scene on the DenBird.

"Den-O!" both Imagin cried for different reasons. As he drove closer, Kintaros and the Cat Imagin leaped away from each other as he roared between them before pulling a U-turn and coming to a stop.

"Okay, you bastard!" Den-O SF growled as he got off DenBird. He walked towards the two Imagin while drawing the pieces of DenGasher and putting them together into its sword configuration. "You may have gotten the first blood, but from here on in it's all a climax!"

"Nyow!" The Cat Imagin hissed angrily. "I destroy you both!"

"Just try it!" Den-O SF shot back before joining the battle.

Kintaros and Den-O SF launched themselves at the Cat Imagin with as much force as they could. Both of them were powerful fighters in their own right but the Cat Imagin was proving to be a little troublesome for them. Kintaros was incredibly strong and he knew how to use that strength, but the Cat Imagin was simply too fast. It was able to slip past his wide-range strikes and get in close to deal a slash or two to him. Den-O SF was having a slightly different problem. He was using Ranma's body to fight in so speed wasn't an issue, but he didn't have anywhere near Ranma's precision skill at his disposal. He was a brawler fighter who was handy with a sword. Unfortunately, the Cat Imagin was a nimble one and was able to retaliate against him as well.

A wide slash from the Cat Imagin managed to hit both Kintaros and Den-O SF and force them to stumble backwards.

"Dammit!" Den-O SF growled as he took a moment to catch his breath. "Can't this just guy hold still?!"

"Hnn," Kintaros hummed before cracking his neck. "We should work together if we wish to defeat this Imagin."

"Oh, no!" Den-O SF cried loudly. "I've been itching for a fight and I'm not going to let anyone take this away from me!"

"But..." Kintaros tried to speak up.

"NO!" Den-O SF shouted. "I'll take care of this stupid cat! You get Hiroshi and Daisuke outta here!"

"...sure," Kintaros nodded before he turned to the tree where Hiroshi and Daiuske were still tied up.

He dashed over to the detained pair and raised his axe over his head. At first both boys thought that he was going to finish them off, but his axe dug deep into the bark of the tree and cut the ropes that were holding the two boys in place.

"Run!" Kintaros ordered sternly as the two boys continued to gawk at him.

"WHAT IS GOING ON?!" a new female voice shrieked loudly.

The three combatants, as well as the two witnesses turned to the source of the noise to see Akane, and her friends Yuka and Sayuri staring incredulously at the battle which was occurring. The Cat Imagin immediately saw their arrival as something amusing for him to do rather than hard like fighting Kintaros and Den-O.

"Nyow, my first victims!" the Cat Imagin purred before lighting began to arch up its sword. It then pointed it at the three girls. "HA!"

The jagged lightning ripped through the air at the three girls. Den-O wasn't quick enough to stop it in time and it seemed that the three girls were going to see the bright light as the last things they would ever see in their lifetimes.

"Yuka!" cried Hiroshi.

"Sayuri!" Yelped Daisuke.

"NOOOO!" Kintaros bellowed as he raced to get to the girls first.

The lightning was aimed to hit all three girls at once, and with their incredulous stares and shock holding them down, it seemed that it was going to fry them. Before the bolt could actually hit them, a large mass of black and yellow got in the way. Kintaros cried out in pain as the voltage raced through his body. His body quivered and shook before the light died down and he collapsed on the ground.

"Bear-boy!" Den-O SF cried.

The girls were still stricken at hat they had just witnessed. Hiroshi ad Daisuke however, had gotten used to the sudden skyrocketing weirdness and managed to do something other than gape at what was happening. Acting surprisingly fast for guys like themselves, they were on their feet and racing over to the three girls.

"Are you okay?" Daisuke asked concernedly, his eyes locked on Sayuri.

"Yeah, but what about that poor thing with the jacket?" asked Yuka.

Their eyes wandered over to Kintaros who was still stirring, but having a difficult time moving. His head turned slightly so that he could see all five teens clearly.

"I will be fine," he coughed. Being zapped with electricity hurt much worse than he imagined. "Go. Run now!"

The five students didn't need anymore conviction than that. They immediately turned tail and raced as far away from Furinkan as they could. Kintaros watched them leave with satisfaction knowing that they would be safe from the Cat Imagin.

Speaking of which, it was feeling rather disappointed that its attack had failed "Nyow. Oh well. At least I got that little traitor!"

"Shut up!" Den-O SF raged before taking another swing at the Cat Imagin. His opponent merely sidestepped the attack before dodging more wild blows from the enraged Kamen Rider.

'_Huh?_' Ranma's voice suddenly echoed in Den-O SF's mind. '_What's going on?_'

"Oh, no!" Den-O SF groaned. "Ranma! Don't look!"

"NYOOOW!" the Cat Imagin cried as it began a charge for the crimson hero.

'_CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTT!_'

The fear of the Neko-Ken came back full force into Den-O SF's head. His body began to thrash wildly. Momotaros attempted to try and regain control, but just like last time, he was fighting a losing battle. The Cat Imagin saw this as a perfect opening and slashed a wide arc across Den-O SF's chest. Sparks flew wildly from the strike and sent to crimson hero flying from the force. he hit the ground like a ton of bricks and still kept going. During his tumble, the Terminal Belt unlocked and fell off his body. The transformation was quickly undone and soon Ranma was left groaning on the ground.

"Nyow," the Cat Imagin chuckled. "Now that that is over with, I can go have some fun!"

The Cat Imagin gave off a loud purr before it leaped to the wall surrounding Furinkan High and then off into the streets. It had no set destination in mind, but it did have a goal. Chaos, and lots of it!

"Ugh," Ranma groaned as he slowly got up. "That thing sure knows how to use a sword."

'_I would have kicked his ass if you didn't wake up!_' Momotaros raged.

'_You were losing badly, Sempai,_' Urataros calmly pointed out. One could tell the agitation in his voice though. '_I think we will need a new plan of attack. Perhaps it's is time I took the rod and reel and cast out my own line?"_

Ranma grabbed his head to get the swelling headache out of it. He hadn't been confronted by cats so many times in one day since Gosunkugi found out his fear about them. He turned to see where he was and found himself in front of Furinkan again. His eyes wandered over to see the scorched Kintaros laying in front of the gates. Ranma may not have been an expert at treating wounds, but he sure was an expert at figuring out what caused them.

"Kintaros!" he cried, his headache forgotten. He quickly got to his feet and ran over to his third Imagin friend. "Kintaros! Are you okay? Speak to me!"

Kintaros groaned softly as he turned his face to Ranma. The pigtailed martial artist suddenly realized that half of Kintaro's face had turned back to sand and it was quickly spreading. The parts that were already sand were loosing shape and looked like they could fall apart at any given time.

"Kintaros?" Ranma asked fearfully. He hadn't felt a dread like this since Jusendo where he thought Akane had died from Saffron's attacks. "What's happening to you?"

"We have changed the timeline," Kintaros replied weakly. His arms had turned to sand by now. "Things have changed so that Hiroshi did not make the contract with me. I can only hope that he has his wish truly granted now."

"Kintaros...but what's happening to you?" Ranma asked, still wanting to know. He watched as his friend's torso changed to sand.

"Hiroshi no longer remembers me," Kintaros explained. "We Imagin depend on a person's memory to give us a form. If Hiroshi no longer remembers me, then I am vanishing."

"No!" Ranma cried loudly. "I won't let this happen! There has o be something...wait!"

"Nn?" Kintaros grunted. His entire body was made of sand now and was threatening to fall apart.

"All you need to do is make a contract with someone else to stay alive, right?" Ranma asked hurriedly. Kintaros only gave a weak nod in reply. "Then you can make one with me!"

------------------------------------------------------**DenLiner**--------------------------------------------------

Urataros suddenly spewed out his coffee while Momotaros did a face plant when he tripped out of sheer shock. Both Imagin were surprised by the sudden offer to another Imagin to share Ranma's body. In their opinion, just the two of them were enough and they didn't want anyone else hoarding time in Ranma's body when they got so little of it to begin with.

"Now, Ranma," Urataros tried to reason with his host. "Let's think things through for a moment!"

"No way!" Momotaros raged. "I am not sharing with that bear-boy!"

'_Tough!_' Ranma snapped back. '_My body, my rules! Live with it!_'

"Gyaaaahh!" Momotaros raged angrily, knowing that he really couldn't do anything about it. Urataros merely sighed in defeat. Over at her counter, Naomi had gotten the gist of the conversation and smiled brightly while she went to prepare a newly invented Kintaros special to give their newest passenger when he arrived.

--------------------------------------------------**September 9th, 2006---**-------------------------------------

What do you say, Kintaros?" Ranma asked with his usual confident grin. "Want to give the power of Den-O a spin?"

Kintaros looked up at Ranma with some kind of sparkle in his eyes. He then nodded firmly. He then cracked his sandy neck before vanishing into an orb of yellow energy. He hovered in the air for a few moments before soaring right into Ranma's body. Ranma shivered for a few moments before he looked up in the direction that the Cat Imagin went in. His eyes were revealed to be a bright yellow and a yellow streak of hair stood out proudly among his black locks. He reached up to his pigtail and quickly untied it. He then redid it into a simple ponytail. A confident smirk appeared on his face before he cracked his neck and dashed off in the direction the Cat Imagin ran off to.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tha Cat Imagin was having a blast. It had torn up so many tings that it had lost count. No doubt things in the present were getting rather chaotic. Then again, Nerima was a pretty weird place and a lot of the people may not have noticed or were already working to repair it. That just wouldn't do at all.

"I'll just have to start ending lives then!" the Cat Imagin laughed loudly.

"Stop!" a gruff voice yelled loudly. The Cat Imagin swiftly turned to face it.

"Oh," it sighed. "You again."

The Cat Imagin was staring down a rather angry looking Ranma Yellow. The possessed martial artist said nothing as he reached out his hand and summoned the Terminal Belt into it in a flash of light. He quickly wrapped it around his waist before pressing the yellow button. The centre of the buckle turned yellow while a strange new tune echoed from it, resembling a flute. Ranma Yellow reached into his pocket and fished out his Hyper Pass before holding it out for the Imagin to see.

"Henshin!" he called loudly before swiping the pass.

"**Axe Form!**" the belt called before it engulfed Ranma Yellow's body. The armor hovered around Den-O's body before swirling to a new configuration. The red plates attached to his back while the yellow and black ones connected wit his chest. The shoulder plates also stuck closer to his back while round ones with red centers appeared form under them and attached to Ranma's shoulders. To complete the transformation, a white axe with a yellow blade slid down Den-O's face before the blades attached to his face into a triangular visor with a black slits in them. The white handle attached itself down the centre of his face to look like a large horn.

"My strength will make you cry!" Den-O AF called as he raised his hand into the air. Surprisingly, white napkins started to flutter to the ground. "Wipe your tears with these!"

"I'm not crying!" the Cat Imagin growled before raising its sword and charging for Den-O AF.

'_Hey!_' Ranma cried from within in realization. '_I'm not freaking out!_'

'_Of course not,_' Den-O AF replied. '_My strength is too much for any Neko-Ken to defeat!_'

Den-O AF returned his attention to the battle and remained calm. He just popped his neck before reaching to his pieces of the DenGasher. He attached three pieces together before placing the fourth piece on the side of the top. A large axe blade extended from the configuration to make a battle axe.

"Nyow!" the Cat Imagin cried before slashing at Den-O AF with all its might. Sparks flew from the impact, but Den-O AF didn't budge from the impact. It didn't even appear to hurt him. Wordlessly, Den-O AF started marching forward with his grip as strong as ever on his axe.

"Nyow! Nyow! Nyow! Nyow!" the Cat Imagin continued to cry as it tried to slash at this new version of Den-O. It was proving futile as Den-O AF was too strong and his armor too thick for any real kind of penetration.

"Hah!" Den-O AF bellowed as he slashed upwards with his axe. The Cat Imagin howled with pain as he was sent tumbling from the blow. The single blow had proven devastating on the Cat Imagin as it had a lot of speed, but wasn't used to actually getting hit. This led to it writhing on the ground from the sheer strength put behind the blow.

"Humph!" Den-O AF grunted before he pulled out his Hyper Pass and swiped it over his belt.

"**Full Charge!**" the belt called before yellow streams of energy raced from it into the axe.

Den-O AF spread his legs apart slightly before throwing his weapon up into the air, sending it end over end straight up. The Cat Imagin was still trying to get up so it couldn't do much at the moment. Den-O AF bent his knees slightly before pouring his muscle into them and jumping an incredible height into the air. Well, about normal for the Nerima Wrecking Crew, but amazing for everyone else. Den-O AF met the apex of his jump just as the axe was beginning to fall. His hand clasped the handle and the blade of the axe erupted into yellow energy before Den-O AF began coming back down. The Cat Imagin managed to get back up before it saw its opponent coming back down. It didn't even get time to scream before Den-O AF brought his weapon down on his opponent and sliced it right down the middle. A yellow line was visible in the Imagin before it exploded in a fireball which sounds echoed through the air.

"Dynamic Chop," Den-O AF grunted from his position.

'_So you say the name of the attack after you use it? I always shout it out while I'm doing it,_' Ranma remarked.

Den-O AF grunted before turning to leave but then froze. He turned to the spot the Cat Imagin had stood before its destruction to notice particles of sand beginning to recollect, forming into the visage of something…BIGGER.

'_Oh, crap!_' Ranma cried. '_Not again!_'

Like the previous Imagin Ranma had defeated, the Cat Imagin had now reformed into a giant Gigandeath. It had a large muscular body and stood on all fours with blood red claws. Its hide was black and thick. Its head resembled a panther's but with a blood red horn on top and tusks jutting out from its mouth which held a jaw of gleaming blood red teeth. The Gigandeath roared and charged straight at Den-O AF who was able to roll out of the way before being flattened by the giant monster. The creature began going on a rampage. This was not good.

"What should we do?" Den-O AF asked.

'_We need the DenLiner_,' Ranma told him.

"DenLiner?" Den-O AF questioned. Suddenly, out of the air, the same tune that played prior to the axe-form's transformation began to echo. This was followed by the sound made by the DenLiner and the tune played by the belt before Den-O assumed rod form. A warp tunnel appeared and a yellow train came out of it, the tracks generating before it. This train was known as the DenLiner Rekkou, Den-O AF's personal train. This was followed by the blue train of Rod Form's, DenLiner Isurugi, that was on a separate track and finally the DenLiner Gouka, the familiar red fronted train followed by three additional cars on a separate track.

'_Now, get in!_' Ranma instructed.

"OK," Den-O AF responded before jumping up. A hatch opened up on the top of Rekkou so that Den-O AF could land in the cockpit, sitting firmly on the DenBird. He pressed the buttons on the bike.

The three separate tracks soon converged into one, with Rekkou in the lead, followed by Isurugi and finally Gouka. The three DenLiners soon linked up to form a new train that was prepared to battle the Gigandeath that was, as of now, rampaging through town.

Inside Gouka, Momotaros didn't want to be left out so he took a seat on a spare DenBird, gripping the handles. He eagerly shouted, "Ikuzo! Ikuzo! Ikuzo!"

Urataros had also taken his place in Isurugi, sitting on the DenBird within it. He sighed. "Well, a fisherman must sometimes go into the water to catch his fish." He didn't want to be considered a coward so he too gripped the handles.

'_Ready, guys?_' Ranma spoke into their heads. They all nodded.

Den-O AF, Urataros and Momotaros all activated the weapons of the three trains. The Gouka revealed its artillery, the cannons, laser blasters, bomb launchers and missile ready. The Isurugi's back transformed into the robotic turtle, Radome, mounted on its back. The fins glowed. The Rekkou's weaponry also revealed itself, 6 axes on red handles, 3 on each flank, swung out of the body of the train. Den-O AF, who was in the lead, made the train turn to intercept the Gigandeath. It roared and charged at the train but then Den-O AF used the train to trip the Gigandeath up. The Gigandeath once again roared and then charged at the train.

"Time to show you the climax!" Momotaros shouted, pressing the buttons on the bike he was on. Outside, Gouka fired its ammunition on the Gigandeath. It roared in pain as lasers, bombs and missiles bombarded its body. The bird-shaped missile also flew around, slashing at its face.

"My turn then, Sempai," Urataros said, pressing a button. He launched Radome into the air and the robot turtle fired its lasers at the beast. The blade-like laser beams easily sliced off the Gigandeath's horns and tusks. Urataros congratulated himself. "Like a fisherman, always gets his fish."

The Gigandeath, disoriented but also enraged by its pain, charged again. Rekkou, in front, charged back and both of them crashed into one another. The beast and time train began pushing at one another, struggling. The time train proved stronger as the beast was forced onto its hind legs as the Rekkou seemed to stand up upon tracks suspended under it.

"Now to make you cry!!!" Den-O AF shouted as he turned the handles of the DenBird from side to side. The train copied his movements, chopping at the Gigandeath with its axes and then grabbing it before throwing it aside. The Gigandeath rose up to charge but this time the Rekkou was ready. It raced towards the Gigandeath and the axe-blade in front of it flipped up and glowed, extending in length as energy surged from it. The train then raced right under the beast and the blade sliced it cleanly, straight down the middle in half. The two halves then exploded.

Momotaros cheered, "Now that's how it's done!"

Urataros sighed, "Well, that was invigorating."

Ranma, inside Den-O AF, said, '_Welcome to the team, Kintaros_.'

Den-O AF nodded, grunting. "It will be my honor to serve you, Ranma-sama."

'_Let's just go home_. _This has been too much excitement for me for one day_,' Ranma told him and the time train vanished into a warp tunnel, the tracks vanishing behind it.

As the train vanished from the timeline, numerous people who had been witnesses to the battle began to come back and see what damages had been done. This wasn't unusual to the folks of Nerima, but this had been the first time such a grand scale of damage had been done before. A number of people who were lucky enough to have witnessed the battle with cameras had taken pictures. Unfortunately, a number of those people were employed by Nabiki, but Nabiki herself was taking pictures at the time as well.

The middle Tendo daughter was conversing with her lackeys in how to treat the information that they had come across. None of them had gotten it on tape so selling it to news stations was out. They did have a number of photographs, so newspapers were an option. Nabiki's core thoughts were relaying on the yellow armored figure and his trains. Nabiki recalled seeing someone like him save for the fact that he was in blue armor. The trains were also very familiar. The yellow one was new though. The mercenary daughter figured that she would have to keep a sharp eye out for these figures or people like them.

-------------------------------------------------------**Present**----------------------------------------------------

"Tadaima!" Ranma Yellow called as he stepped inside the Tendo home after getting dropped off by DenLiner.

"Hello, Ranma-kun," Kasumi smiled as she stepped out to greet her 'little brother'. However, she immediately stopped short when she noticed Ranma's hair in a ponytail and a yellow streak in his hair. Kasumi could instantly tell that someone new had taken control of Ranma's body. It was also obvious who was doing the possessing as well.

"Hello again, Kintaros-san," Kasumi bowed respectfully. "I wasn't expecting you to be in Ranma's body."

"Well," Ranma Yellow smiled while crossing his arms. "I completed my contract and Ranma and I joined forces to defeat the Imagin."

"Wonderful!" Kasumi smiled brightly. That meant Ranma had another new friend. Kasumi admitted to herself that the other people Ranma called 'friends' really didn't treat him in a friendly sense. His Imagin friends on the other hand were very nice and seemed to be becoming good friends for him. "Does that mean you will be staying?"

"If it is not too much trouble," Ranma Yellow smiled sheepishly.

"That's good," Kasumi smiled. "Well, dinner is almost ready. Why don't you take a seat and we'll eat."

"Thank you," Ranma Yellow smiled. He then headed to the living room where dinner was usually eaten. He reached the sliding door and opened it wide.

KRACK!

Too wide actually. His massive strength caused Ranma Yellow to accidentally tear the door right off its hinges. The possessed boy immediately began to panic as he tried to slide it back into place before anyone noticed. Unfortunately, Kasumi had heard the noise and had come to see what it was. She was almost surprised to see that it was Ranma Yellow tearing a door out of the wall.

"I'm sorry!" Ranma Yellow cried, trying to fix his mistake. "I can fix it! I really can!"

Kasumi just had a tiny fit of giggles. Ranma's new friends were just so funny! Of course, her laughter was short-lived when Akane came downstairs to get something to eat. She stopped quite suddenly when she saw the damage Ranma Yellow had inflicted on the door. Her temper immediately started boiling when she saw it.

"Rrrrraaannnnnmmaaaaaa," she growled. "It isn't enough that you let those other girls destroy our home, but you have to tear it apart as well?!"

"I can fix it!" Ranma Yellow stated loudly.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane shrieked, not even bothering to listen to Ranma Yellow's words before she brought out her mallet and aimed to give Ranma some 'righteous womanly fury'. Well, in her mind it was justified anyway. Her mallet flew straight and true at her target, however, that was when things went differently.

The mallet hit Ranma Yellow directly on the head, but on impact, it shattered like glass. Wood splinters flew in all directions before piling up on the floor. Akane was left staring stupidly at the handle of her mallet which had formerly been known to survive impacts against Ranma's tough skull, but Ranma Yellow's was much harder.

Kasumi sighed and went to get the broom to clean up the wood splinters as Ranma Yellow continued to try fixing the door, leaving a shell-shocked Akane still staring dumbly at her mallet handle, unable to comprehend what the hell just happened.

All Ranma Yellow did was crack his neck to get the stiffness out.

To Be Continued...

There we go. Chapter 6 is up and Kintaros is here to stay. Of course, everyone already knows who is coming up next right? That's right! The hip-hopping hypnotizing child Imagin we all know and love! See you then!


	7. Dance of the Purple Dragon

I do not own Ranma 1/2 or Kamen Rider Den-O. Thise belong to their respective creators and not me. I'm just the fan boy who goes for either series whenever he can. Now...let the fic commence!

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 7: Dance of the Purple Dragon

Ranma was walking down the streets towards the Tendo Dojo with a bag of groceries in his hands. Kasumi was a little busy back home and had asked Ranma to get it since she could tell that Ranma wouldn't try to steal what she needed and everything else he liked (Genma) or swindle/blackmail the vendors out of the items for free (Nabiki). She could also trust Ranma not to lose his temper if a rival appeared to fight (Akane) or drown his sorrows in sake when something reminded him of a loved one (Soun).

"Are you sure we have everything?" Ranma asked as he gazed into the bag. "I feel like we forgot something."

"_Fear not, Ranma,_" Urataros replied. "_This is everything Kasumi-chan needs for dinner tonight._"

Ranma nodded as he continued on his way and let the bag of groceries hang from his side. The blue turtle may have been fond and adept at telling lies, but when he was on the job then you knew it was going to get done. Even if he wanted to get it down so he could flirt with any cute counter attendants. This was the reason why there were a number of women with blushing faces sighing wistfully for Ranma in the marketplace.

'_I still say you should have gotten those Kung-Fu movies,_' Momotaros grumbled.

Ranma shook his head at the red ogre's words. Momotaros was as eager for a fight as ever. When he finally took the time to take a better look at Ranma's more interesting fights, he found out about Ranma's innate ability to learn anything related to martial arts in a short amount of time. Needless to say, he became just as excited as Ranma does about learning new techniques.

"My life is a Kung-Fu movie," Ranma grumbled. "Thanks to a lot of Pops' meddling and my big mouth, mostly Pops' though."

'_Heh,_' Momotaros laughed. '_You were right about kicking his ass though. It is a good stress-reliever._'

Did we mention that Momotaros would occasionally take over during sparring sessions just so he could beat up Genma for his idiocy? Urataros would step in as well just to make the fool feel stupid when the mood suited him. Even Kintaros jumped now and again for his personal payback for almost getting his host killed on a number of occasions. Needless to say, Genma had been living in a world of hurt for a while.

Speaking of the yellow bear...

'_Zzzzzzzzz_,' Kintaros snored as he slept.

It turned out that Kintaros slept a lot. It was spontaneous and when it did happen, there was nothing one could do to wake him up unless he wanted to...or someone mentioned crying. Ranma suppressed a slight shiver when someone mentioned crying. Boy, it wasn't a good day to be Ryoga.

----------------------------------------**Flashback**------------------------------------------------

_"RANMA!" Ryoga bellowed as he charged at his hated rival. "Prepare to die!"_

_Ranma turned his attention to the Lost Boy who was charging at him with his bamboo umbrella at the ready. Ranma just resisted the urge to groan in exasperation. It was the day after he and the Taros-tacchi managed to beat the Cat Imagin. Ranma was feeling some sores from some of the Imagin's attacks and he was hoping to just get some rest for a while. Apparently, someone up there had a different idea._

_"What is it this time?" Ranma frowned as he turned to glare at the Lost Boy._

_'Humph!' Kintaros snorted. 'Perverted pig.'_

_'You got that right,' Momotaros grumbled._

_'Honorless too,' Urataros sighed._

_Ryoga took a swipe at Ranma which the pigtailed boy easily dodged the assault. Ryoga stopped himself, but still managed to break a few inches of road since he dug the umbrella into the ground to stop himself._

_"Ranma," he growled. "I'm here to stop Akane's suffering at your hands!"_

_"What are you talking about this time?" Ranma sighed._

_"I've heard!" Ryoga growled. "I've heard about all those other women you flirt with! Those glasses you wear don't fool anyone!"_

_'I am now officially blaming you for this Urataros,' Ranma sighed inwardly._

_'I don't see why the pig boy is raging,' Urataros sighed inwardly. 'He's the one who can't decide on Akane or that nice Akari girl.'_

_'He's rarely made sense in my opinion,' Ranma replied. 'He made more than Kuno anyway.'_

_"It ends today, Ranma!" Ryoga bellowed. "Today you will pay for making Akane cry all those times!"_

_'Nakeru?' asked Kintaros suddenly. A sudden chill ran down Ranma's spine that the red and blue Imagin connected copied. Suddenly, something just didn't sit right with how Kintaros reacted to those words._

_"I'll make you pay for those tears with interest!" Ryoga roared as he began his charge to destroy Ranma._

_'NAKERU!' Kintaros roared. 'NAKERU ZE!'_

_Aboard the DenLiner, Kintaros suddenly bolted to his feet and stepped away from his table. He started stomping toward the end of the car where Momotaros and Urataros were watching in on Ranma. He gripped both their shoulders and shoved them out of the way before vanishing into a haze of yellow energy._

_Ranma shuddered suddenly as Kintaros forced his way into Ranma's mind and took over. He shook his head and his pigtail suddenly changed to a ponytail. His eyes changed to a golden yellow as did a part of his hair. He looked up at the charging boy._

_"It is you who shall cry today!" Ranma Yellow frowned as he prepared to fight._

_Ranma Yellow charged forward with a roar of his own straight at Ryoga. The Lost Boy thrust his umbrella forward with the target being the middle of Ranma Yellow's chest. The umbrella did make impact, but Ranma Yellow didn't buckle. Instead, the umbrella was crushed, much to Ryoga's surprise. Ranma Yellow continued his advantage and slammed Ryoga with a forward tackle. The Lost Boy tried to push back but even his strength was being pushed back._

_'How did Ranma get this strong?!' Ryoga cried internally._

_Ryoga's struggles continued until Ranma Yellow slammed him into a stone wall. Ryoga's vision went blurry from the sudden impact. He looked up to Ranma Yellow's frowning face, and his anger boiled up again. He wouldn't let Ranma win this time! He would make him pay for hurting Akane!_

_"Raaahhh!" Ryoga bellowed before powering his aura for a Perfect Shi Shi Hokodan._

_'Don't let him shoot that thing!' Ranma shouted to the Imagin possessing him. He really didn't have the time to try and steal his body back or get mad at Kintaros for stealing his body in the first place. Ryoga was going to blow away a chunk of the district if his depression managed to get deep enough due to him losing this fight._

_Ranma Yellow acted quickly. He grabbed Ryoga and held him across his shoulders and started spinning himself in a tight circle. The Lost Boy's aura slowly began to dissipate as he began to get dizzy from all the spinning._

_"Rrrrrrraaaaannnnnnnnnmmmmmmmaaaaaaaaa!!!" Ryoga cried as he got dizzier and dizzier._

_It was a short time before his aura was dissipated fully. When it was, Ranma Yellow stopped and unceremoniously dumped Ryoga to the ground. Ranma Yellow was busy wobbling on his feet, but he was still able to stand. Ryoga took a few more minutes, but he was unsteadily on his feet._

_"I'll...I'll...," Ryoga grumbled. His face then turned a shade of green as he suddenly began convulsing. "I'll go throw up over here!"_

_Ryoga staggered off around a corner and a few vomiting noises could be heard which faded away. Ranma Yellow remained still as he remained wobbly._

_"Good for you," Ranma Yellow mumbled. "I'm going to be sick over here now."_

-------------------------------------------**End Flashback**------------------------------------------------

Ranma shuddered at the thought. He felt sick just by thinking about it. No doubt Ryoga was feeling just as bad or worse since he had to wander around like that. Ranma figured that Kintaros got a bad enough punishment by getting sick for stealing his body like he did.

Of course, that doesn't mean that Urataros and Momotaros were being behaved either. They took opportunities to walk in the real world and have some fun of their own. Of course, they also saw fit to cast their hand on his problems when they reared their heads. A very fine example of Momotaros butting into his life was when the fiancees tried another round of schemes to make Ranma theirs.

------------------------------------------**Flashback**------------------------------------------------------

_Ranma had been chewed out by the fathers for not marrying Akane for the umpteenth time. This little argument was sparked when Akane got mad at him for not eating her cooking again. Personally Ranma didn't see the reason why she had to get so upset. It was an observation on his part that made Akane note that her food was plaid. Plaid was not a color that should be on food. The colors of the rainbow were okay in some areas, but plaid is not a color for food. Unless it's icing, but Akane had been trying to make teriyaki that night. What came out was that plaid mess that Ranma was not going to eat even if she malleted him to. Well, Akane really couldn't mallet him until she could replace the last one she broke on his head when Kintaros took up residence so she screamed at him before leaving while the fathers harped him and tried to force him to eat the cooking._

_'Why do you put up with those losers?' sighed Momotaros. 'They give you nothing but grief!'_

_"I got nowhere else to go!" Ranma grumbled. "Sure I could go to some places but the fiancée brigade will just chase me and probably destroy the place I'm staying at in another free-for-all."_

_'Ah, the wedding ring/pill box incident,' Urataros nodded from his seat on DenLiner. 'I can see your reluctance.'_

_"Glad someone does," Ranma sighed._

_'They are being very selfish,' Kintaros observed. 'The courting of someone you love should not involve violence!'_

_"Well, everyone around me seems to think it does," Ranma growled. "And I've never been taught about that stuff so I have no clue how to recognize if I really like a girl."_

_'Ranma, Ranma, Ranma,' Urataros sighed. __'Why didn't you say something? I can teach you all you need to know.'_

_'Yeah right!' Momotaros growled. 'All you do is string girls along! Now the best kind of women are attracted to real men!'_

_'They are attracted to strong men!' Kintaros argued._

_"NOT HELPING!" Ranma snapped. "I have no trouble attracting girls! It's making them go away that's the problem!"_

_The Taros-tacchi were quiet at that. That was truly Ranma's problem. None of the girls wanted to admit they had lost in the race for his heart, despite what one certain tomboy said constantly to the contrary._

_"AIREN!" a familiar bubbly voice with the sound of a bicycle bell ringing._

_"Oh no," Ranma grumbled as he turned to face the bubbly Amazon coming to face him._

"_Airen, Shampoo make too-too good ramen for you!_" _Shampoo cried gleefully as she rode her bike towards him. Suddenly, a spatula impacted with the front wheel, causing Shampoo to lose control of her bike. She hopped off before her bike collided with a lamppost. Ukyo was standing on the wall with a plate of hot okonomiyaki made specially for Ranma._

"_Ranchan, I got some hot okonomiyaki for you made with love!" Ukyo said._

_There was a whipping sound as a ribbon came flying out of nowhere and nearly struck Ukyo. Kodachi leapt into the scene in her leotard, carrying a plate of (poisoned) cookies._

"_Oh, Ranma-sama, don't pay attention to these fools. Please, have some of my cookies!" Kodachi said before laughing._

_Ranma grumbled._

'_Ah, to be popular with the ladies,' Urataros said with a sigh. 'Maybe I should-'_

'_You'll just make it worse, turtle!' Momotaros snapped. 'Let ME handle this!'_

_Momotaros then asserted himself into Ranma's body, his eyes flashing red as his hair became wilder and a red streak appeared in it. He growled, cracking his fists, "Ore Sanjou!" He then dashed towards the fighting girls. He grabbed the food the girls were carrying and then smashed them onto the ground, much to their shock. Their food was ruined!_

"_Aiyah! Why Airen do that!?" Shampoo cried._

"_Ranchan, that was for you!" Ukyo cried._

"_Ranma-sama, why do you refuse?" Kodachi asked innocently._

_Ranma Red then roared in their faces, "YOU THINK I'M SOME SORT OF STUPID PRIZE FOR YOU HUSSIES TO FIGHT OVER! I'M A PERSON HERE! I MAKE MY OWN DAMNED DECISIONS! UNTIL YOU CAN GET THAT THROUGH YOUR HEADS THEN THERE'S NO WAY I'M TOUCHING YOUR DAMNED FOOD!" Ranma Red then turned on his heels and stomped away._

"_Airen!"_

"_Ranchan!"_

"_Ranma-sama!"_

----------------------------------------------**End Flashback**---------------------------------------------------

The fiancées were not happy with that little performance. Mousse had attacked him six times in one day because Momotaros' actions made Shampoo run home in a fit of tears. Ukyo was just as distraught, but she didn't sic Konatsu on him. Maybe she got the message. Kodachi seemed to have forgotten the incident already. Her denial was only outmatched by her brother's. Nabiki also managed to make a butt-load of cash that day since one of her lackeys had spied the incident and reported it to her. With communication as it is these days, Nabiki found out only a few minutes after it happened. Apparently there was a running pool on which girl Ranma would pick. No one had predicted that he'd blow up on them.

Of course, when news came that Ranma had told off the other fiancées, Genma and Soun were drinking in celebration and preparing wedding plans. Of course, they neglected to tell Akane and Ranma about it. Then came their next hair-brained stunt for a shotgun wedding. They thought it would have been a nice surprise for their children. It was one of the increasing number of times which Ranma was glad that Urataros was around.

-------------------------------------------**Flashback Same Day**-----------------------------------------------

_Ranma was turning back onto the street where the Tendo Dojo was and resigned himself to another night of scams, slop, and tomfoolery from the fathers. Of course, he had the special side of guilt he felt for making Ukyo and Shampoo cry._

_'I don't see why you're beating yourself up about this,' Momotaros grumbled. 'I'm the one who did it.'_

_"In MY body," Ranma sighed. "I'm guilty by association."_

_'I think it's about time they got a wake-up call!' Momotaros snapped. He then turned his attention to the other Imagin he had to share with. 'Am I right?!"_

_'I guess,' Urataros sighed._

_'Zzzzzzzzz,' Kintaros snored, having fallen asleep again._

_'Urgh!' Momotaros growled. 'I get no respect!'_

_Ranma snickered at the antics. He liked the feeling he had when he was with the denizens of DenLiner. He had actual friends there. People he could just hang out with and not have to pose for. With them he was just Ranma. He wasn't a rival and he wasn't a fiancé. He was just a friend taking a ride on a train who was part of a team which protected the timeline. It was a shame he couldn't tell anyone about his job. His mother would probably see it as the epitome of manliness._

_As Ranma opened the front gates of the Tendo property, Urataros suddenly spoke up._

_'Hold on a second, Ranma,' he warned suddenly._

_"What is it?" asked Ranma curiously._

_'Notice anything amiss right now?' asked Urataros. 'Try to pay attention a little.'_

_So Ranma took a good look at his surroundings. He knew it wasn't a rival because his survival instincts didn't kick in. It wasn't a fiancée either because a shiver hadn't gone down his spine. It took him a couple of minutes to figure it out, but he managed it._

_"Wait a sec!" Ranma frowned. "Where is everybody? Usually Mr. Tendo is hanging out near the garden with Pops playing Shogi. They'd better not be doing anything stupid."_

_'Undoubtedly,' Urataros sighed. 'If you would permit me, I would like to make use of your body. I will be able to react faster to their tricks if I am in charge.'_

_"Go ahead," Ranma sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, Urataros had a real sharp eye for everything around him. Ranma's only went as far as attacks._

_Urataros pushed himself forward as Ranma's eyes turned bright blue and his hair was tucked behind his ear with a blue streak. A pair of glasses also appeared over his eyes. Urataros' confident smirk appeared on his lips._

_"Mind if I string you along?" Ranma Blue smiled before continuing on bravely towards the house._

_He didn't even make it to the front door before Soun and Genma leaped out the door and turned on him. Ranma Blue was feeling a sense of deja vu as he recalled being in this position._

_"Way to be a man, Boy!" Genam grinned, his face was flushed, obviously telling all he was drunk. "Telling off those girls at long last so you can marry your kind and gentle fiancée!"_

_"WAAAAAHHHH!" Soun bawled. "The schools will finally be joined! WAHHHHHH!"_

_Ranma Blue sighed and shook his head. These two were determined come hell or high water to get Ranma and Akane hitched. While Ranma Blue did see many feminine qualities which may be good for Ranma in the long run, she had too many attitude and maturity problems which prevented her from being seen as marriage material._

_"Quite right, Tendo!" Genma grinned while gripping Ranma Blue's arm. "Now we have everything ready! All you need to do is make the vows!"_

_"My little girl is finally getting married!" Soun bawled whiel gripping Ranma Blue's other arm._

_Both men yanked Ranma Blue into the house and brought him to the dojo. Inside were the sisters with Akane tied up with a wedding dress on. She was out cold which Ranma Blue could guess was the only way the men could have gotten her there. There was a priest present too._

_"Okay, Boy!" Genma grinned. "Go up there with your fiancée and begin your married life!"_

_Ranma Blue sighed and released himself from both men's grips. This had to be their worst plan yet. The last time at least had a chance of success since they used blackmail and unconsciousness as something to help them. Oh well. It was high time to knock them off their high horses for the time being._

_"Otousan, Tendo-san," Ranma Blue sighed, adjusting his glasses. "We talked about this. Akane and I are just not ready for marriage."_

_"Nonsense, Boy!" Genma frowned. "You got rid of those other girls so now's your chance to marry Akane before they try some other trick!"_

_"The time is right for uniting the school!" Soun added with a furious nod, threatening to go into demon head mode._

_Ranma Blue shook his head and looked pointedly at the two men, "I'm afraid you have jumped the gun again. I have not broken the engagements. I merely told the others that if they even want a fair chance then they had better act like real women rather than warriors. Otherwise I will not have time for them."_

_"WHAT?!" Genma bellowed. "Now see here, boy! You are going to marry Akane today! I am your father and I expect you to do as I say!"_

_"Quite right!" Tendo agreed. "Think of the honor of our houses!"_

_"In that case," Ranma Blue smirked. "The pledge doesn't have to be fulfilled since neither heads of the Tendo or Saotome families have any honor."_

_"HOW DARE YOU!" Soun roared in demon head mode._

_"Insolent boy!" Genma growled._

_"I am only stating what anyone else would see," Ranma Blue shrugged. "Otousan, you have sold my hand in marriage for as little as food, haven't you? Those marriages were made in good faith and on words of honor. You broke your word, and the Saotome family honor beyond repair. Quite frankly, I'm surprised that Tendo-san hasn't thrown you out yet."_

_"Uhh," Genma sweated. As much as he wanted to deny it, the boy had a point. If Nodoka found out about half the things he'd done on the training trip, she'd have his head. Thankfully she was under the impression that the other girls were hopeful concubines._

_"Then we come to you, Tendo-san," Ranma Blue continued with a smirk. "I believe this is the second time you have pulled a stunt like this? Or is it the third? Anyway, you have committed assault on your daughter a third time now. That act is punishable by law you know. Tying her up? Knocking her out? Almost looks like kidnapping to me. Never mind the fact that Akane-chan and I are underage. I do wonder what the police would think."_

_"Now, hold on there, son," Soun tried to reason with Ranma. "Nothing to get hasty about. Genma and I were just a little excited. We got carried away, I suppose."_

_"Fair enough," Ranma Blue shrugged. "Lay off on the sake then. Of course, what Akane is going to do when she wakes up will be punishment enough. Sayanora."_

_Ranma Blue then walked right out of the dojo, leaving a dumbfounded Soun and Genma behind. Nabiki had a smirk on her face which was one of the largest she had in a long time. Ranma Blue had just blackmailed the fathers into letting him go. Quite ingeniously as well. He had quite an eye for detail._

_Of course, her thoughts were derailed when Akane woke up._

_"YOU DID THIS AGAIN?!" she shrieked, making the fathers shiver in sudden fear. "BAKAS!!"_

----------------------------------------------**End Flashback**---------------------------------------------------

Ranma snickered at the thought. Divine retribution did exist after all. Akane had beaten both fathers into a pulp and destroyed the wedding decorations just to make sure they couldn't try again for a while. By the end of the night, Ranma was feeling very relaxed.

"Whew," Ranma sighed as he stopped to catch his breath. He had been feeling a little tired since Kintaros moved in. He assumed it was because of the added spiritual presence mixed with his, Momotaros' and Urataros'. "Could you lose a few pounds there Kintaros?"

'_It is all muscle!_' Kintaros 'harrumpn'ed in his sleep before snoring again.

"Well, it's heavy muscle if you ask me," Ranma said and then he yawned.

'_Are you exhausted, Ranma?_' Urataros asked in concern.

"Yep," Ranma answered, smacking his lips. "All this fighting Imagin and letting you guys take control is making me exhausted."

'_Why don't I take a load off for you, Ranma?_' Urataros offered and the pigtailed martial artist quirked an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Why?" Ranma asked.

'_Ranma, you're saying that like I have some sort of ulterior motive. I am shocked._'

'_He knows you well, Turtle-Boy,_' Momotaros snickered.

Ranma, too tired to argue, said, "Fine." That was Urataros' cue to take over as a haze of blue energy entered Ranma's body and once again the blue streak, eyes and glasses reappeared. Ranma Blue then said, "Much better." He dug into his pants and pulled out a cell phone that had been given to him by Nabiki to keep in contact with her. He then dialed up a number. "Hello, Mika-chan, miss me?"

"_Oh, Ranma! Hi!_" the girl on the other end, Mika, giggled. "_What's up?_"

"My schedule is free tomorrow so I wish to spend the evening with you," Ranma Blue said suavely. "Is that alright?"

"_Oh, okay, then it's a date! When do we meet?_" Mika asked, eager for her date with Ranma Blue.

"We shall meet-" he was suddenly cut off as a red haze of energy pushed the blue one out. The glasses vanished and then the blue streak disappeared and replaced by a red one before the blue eyes shifted to red. "I don't wanna see your face!" he then hung up before Mika could answer.

'_Sempai,_' Urataros complained, '_Why did you do that?_'

"You were flirting, that's what, Turtle-Boy," Ranma Red growled. "Ranma doesn't need you giving him more girl trouble."

'_I am angry at you now. Mika is probably crying right now_,' Urataros told him.

'_Nakeru?_' Kintaros voice was heard as he began to wake up.

Ranma Red and Urataros panicked, "Oh, no!" Suddenly, a yellow haze of energy appeared and pushed Momotaros out. The pigtail unraveled into a ponytail and a yellow streak of hair replaced the red one. His eyes flashed yellow, "NAKERU ZE!"

'_Hey, Bear-Boy, why did you have to wake up now!?_' Momotaros shouted.

"Ranma-sama does not need you two controlling him like that. He needs someone strong!" Ranma Yellow said proudly, pounding his chest.

"And that's me!" Ranma Red reasserted himself before Ranma Blue took over.

"I believe I am the better choice. My cunning will help him out more," Ranma Blue said cockily.

"No, me!" Ranma Yellow insisted.

"Me!" Ranma Red pushed.

"Me!" Ranma Blue argued.

"_ME!!!_" All three Imagin shouted as they continuously struggled over control of Ranma's body. All of the sudden, a purple burst of energy sent the three Imagin flying out and they reappeared in the DenLiner in a heap.

Ranma then groaned in pain as the confrontation wiped him out. However, he continued on his way home.

"Crap," Ranma muttered. "I can't leave you guys alone for a second! What was that purple energy?"

'_Dunno,_' Momotaros grumbled. '_Hurts though._'

"Ugh," Ranma sighed. "Urataros, get back out here. I need the rest."

'_Glady,_' Urataros smiled before re-possessing Ranma's body. He immediately went to the cell phone again and called up the girl from before. "Mika-chan? Are you there?"

"_Ranma?_" asked the girl. "_What happened? Who was that other voice? He sounded really mean! I almost thought he was you for a moment!_"

"Don't worry, Mika-chan," Ranma Blue smiled. "It was just some fool who thought they were being funny. I'm sorry if he upset you."

"_Oohh, Ranma,_" Mika gushed over the phone.

'_Oi!_' snapped Momotaros.

During this whole little episode, neither Ranma nor the Taros-tachhi noticed that someone had been spying on them. Seeing the boy go through mood changes was probable, but not that quickly. Speaking in three different voices was also suspicious. Then becoming the ultimate ladies man from the sexually repressed boy he had been only made it glaringly obvious. There was no way Ranma would have been able to get that girl on the phone talking to him after what he barked at her earlier. Yet, he did it just the same. Of course, the different colored ki was the first tip off. To the one spying, it all became clear.

"That explains everything," the spy spoke before vanishing in a flash.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another day dawned on the Tendo dojo. Ranma sighed as he slowly came to the waking world. He was feeling much better than he did yesterday. A little rest as all he needed to recover from all the body swapping he did with the Taros-Tacchi. He yawned loudly as he considered himself lucky that his father hadn't thrown him out the window yet or Akane lost her patience and splashed him with water to wake him up.

"Come to think of it," Ranma muttered. "Why didn't Pop wake me up?"

"Nihao," someone spoke up.

Ranma's eyes widened as he turned to the source of the voice. He almost went into a state of shock when he saw the purple tresses of Shampoo standing in the middle of the room. Coincidentally, one of her bonborri was planted in Genma's skull, rendering him out cold. Judging by the bucket of water that was spilled on the floor, he had been planning to wake Ranma up in one of his usual methods.

"Shampoo?" Ranma blinked. "What are you doing here?"

Ranma had a right to be confused. Usually Shampoo would break in through walls or sneak into Ranma's bed to try and seduce him for herself. Either that or sneak in with her cat form and freak Ranma out. This time, she had done nothing like that. The serious look in her eyes was somewhat unnerving.

"Airen," she spoke seriously. "Need to come to Cat Cafe quick. Great-Grandmother want to talk to you."

"Great," Ranma sighed, rubbing his eyes. "What does the old ghoul want now?"

"Shampoo not know," Shampoo shrugged. "She just told to bring you to cafe quick."

'_She's lying,_' Urataros spoke up. '_She knows exactly why her great-grandmother wants you to come._'

'_Ah well,_' Ranma sighed inwardly. '_Might be important._'

"Sure, Shampoo," Ranma yawned. "Just let me leave a note or sumthin' and we can go."

"Okee-dokey!" Shampoo smiled brightly, but her usual bubbliness was gone. Something was definitely up.

After a quick explanation to Kasumi, who was already awake, and having to explain things to Akane, who thought Ranma was going to spend time with Shampoo, they were off. The whole time, Ranma could tell that Shampoo was keeping her gaze leveled on Ranma's back at all times. Usually it was on his butt or something when she got the chance, but this was something else entirely. The Cat Cafe was soon in sight and Ranma reached the entrance with Shampoo close behind. However, when he opened the door, he found that the room was pitch dark.

"Huh?" Ranma blinked. "What's goin-?"

SHOVE!

"Hey!"

Ranma stumbled inside after Shampoo pushed him hard. He tried to turn around to face her, but she was already inside and shut the door. Ranma was now officially blind in the dark and had no idea what was going on. He was about to call out for Cologne when something dashed around him at n incredible speed. Ranma felt his arms constricted by something incredibly hard and tough. After it was wrapped around him a few times and pinned his arms, he was suddenly tripped before landing on his butt. The lights then came on as numerous candles were ignited, illuminating the room. Ranma found himself sitting across from Cologne with Shampoo just behind her, looking very worried about something.

"Hello, Son-In-Law," Cologne nodded. "If it is you in control anyway."

"Old Ghoul!" Ranma snapped. "What's going on?! What's the big idea?!"

"Ranma in big danger!" Shampoo mumbled. It was rare to see her so concerned about something. "Ranma possessed by too too bad spirits!"

"Indeed," Cologne nodded.

"What?!" Ranma gaped. "Oh come on! I am not possessed by evil spirits."

'_No,_' Momotaros snickered. '_Just by Imagin_.'

'_Not helping so shut up!_' Ranma growled as his guest before turning his attention back to Cologne.

"I think otherwise, Son-In-Law," Cologne frowned. "There were some glaring clues, but nothing I could properly act on without real proof."

"Oh yeah?" snorted Ranma. "What proof do you have?"

"Well," Cologne answered. "One of the most glaring facts is that not only did you woo Shampoo with words one day, but you did it with almost every girl you met."

"Uh..." Ranma gulped. Curse Cologne's attention to detail.

"The there is the fact you made her cry purposely," Cologne continued. "I know for a fact you would never do that."

Ranma remained nervously silent at that. She was right. Several personality changes were not the norm for Nerima. That and Ranma seducing every woman he met, a hair-trigger temper, or suddenly gaining strength to crash through walls as if he was Ryoga probably would have shown up on people's radar.

"I am not sure where these spirits have come from, Son-In-Law," Cologne added. "But rest assured that I will remove them from your body."

"Huh?!" Ranma blinked.

"_What?!_" Growled Momotaros. "_I'm not going anywhere!_"

"_Excuse me?_" blinked Urataros. "_Can we talk about this?_"

"_I will not leave,_" Kintaros snorted. "_I am Ranma-sama's servant. I am honor bound to serve him._"

"Not worry, Ranma," Shampoo smiled. "Great-Grandmother do this before! Maybe when you free you take Shampoo on date yes?"

"Now hold on a sec!" Ranma cried as Cologne began digging in her robes for something. "I'm not possessed by evil sprits! I've been going through something called growing up! It happens to everybody!"

"Perhaps," Cologne shrugged. "But the extreme personality changes and three colors of ki which are not yours cannot be ignored. I have seen for myself the spirits struggle for dominance. So I will remove them from you and set you free."

"Hold on!" Ranma cried, but Cologne didn't listen. She pulled out a paper talisman and lunged forward before placing it on Ranma's forehead. The pigtailed martial artist was out like a light. The talisman remained in place for a second before falling off. Cologne stepped forward slightly to check on her wayward son-in-law.

"Ranma is okay?" Shampoo asked worriedly.

Ranma slowly looked to the two Amazons with a growing grin on his face. The Amazons both drew in gasps of shock as they saw that Ranma's eyes were turning purple and a purple streak of hair was appearing on the side of his head.

"You found me!" Ranma grinned with an almost childish voice.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nabiki was heading to school that morning while Akane struggled to get ready while in a huff about Ranma going to see the Amazons so early in the morning. Nabiki herself wondered what the big deal was so she decided to satisfy her curiosity and go see what was going on. As she turned the corner to where the Cat Cafe was situated, her eyes widened in shock as she saw that the front door had been blown wide open. Mousse was in the middle of the street, groaning in pain and had bruises on his skin and footprints on his clothes. Walking up to the building, she saw Shampoo and Cologne cleaning up inside.

"What happened here?" she asked.

"Son-In-Law," Cologne answered simply as she flipped undamaged chairs onto the tables so Shampoo could clean up easier.

"Ranma did all this?!" Nabiki gaped. Usually it was his rivals or fiancées who did this much damage in such small spaces.

"Was not Ranma!" Shampoo frowned. "Was Mousse and purple spirit!"

"Purple spirit?" asked Nabiki with a small degree of confusion.

"Great-Grandmother find out bad spirits in Ranma," Shampoo explained. "She try to take them away but it no work! Instead, it bring new one! Then, Mousse come back from delivery. He think we try to force Ranma to get married to Shampoo so he attack Ranma. Mousse break metal cable around Ranma and Ranma fight back like Shampoo never see before! Break lots of things!"

"Yes," Cologne nodded. "It was something to witness all right. However, I would advice you not to excite this spirit. We do not know what it is truly capable of."

"I'll keep that in mind," Nabiki nodded before she left. She then started walking to school again. '_Did another Imagin decide to take up residence in Ranma? If so, where is it now and what is it doing? I hope no one ticks it off before I figure out what it wants._'

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kasumi was busy with some housekeeping for the time being. The fathers were out and everyone else was in school. Well, hopefully Ranma was anyway. Who knows what Cologne wanted to talk to him about? She only hoped that it wasn't another one of their tricks to get him married to Shampoo. The Imagin in Ranma probably wouldn't like that.

(Play Climax Jump-Hip-Hop version)

Looking out to the entrance gate, Kasumi saw someone actually dancing their way in. The eldest Tendo daughter took a moment to stop and look at this strange person. He was a very good dancer. He was breaking out moves which experience break dancers would use. He was wearing a cap on his head so Kasumi couldn't see his face. He also had sneakers on and headphones around his neck. He was wearing Chinese style clothes. An interesting thing to see was a streak of purple hair sticking out from his cap. He also had a pigtail tied at the back. Wait...pigtail?

"Ranma?" Kasumi asked with some surprise. When did he learn to dance?

"Sorta," the boy answered before abruptly ending his dance with his hand pointing straight up and him looking at the ground. He then pointed right at Kasumi and looked at her which revealed Ranma's face, but with purple eyes and a smile. "Hi, Nee-chan!"

(end song)

"Hello to you too, Imagin-san," Kasumi politely bowed. "What is your name?"

"Call me Ryutaros!" Ranma Purple laughed as he skipped closer to Kasumi, still smiling.

"Okay, Ryutaros-san," Kasumi smiled. "What brings you here? It is time for school you know."

"School?" Ranma Purple blinked in confusion.

"Oh yes!" Kasumi nodded. "Everyone Ranma's age has to go to school. Since you are in Ranma's body then you have to go too."

"Oh," Ranma Purple nodded before another smile came to his face. "Okay, Nee-chan! I'll go to school!"

"Good," Kasumi smiled. She then entered the house and brought out Ranma's school bag and a bento. "Here you go. Have a good day."

"'Kay!" Ranma Purple smiled as he took the items. He then turned around and began dancing out the front door. "Bye-bye, Nee-chan!"

Kasumi waved as he left. She couldn't help but giggle as he went. Ryutaros was just so silly! Even so, he was really friendly. Ranma was lucky to have made such a nice new friend.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Ah, for the beautiful tigress Akane Tendo to walk to school unescorted is truly a crime. Let me walk you to the door, my beauty!" Kuno proclaimed.

"Back off, Kuno!" Akane growled as she swung her book bag in his face, but he still stood there, proclaiming his love to her. Akane was still in a bad mood since the fathers had tried to get her married to Ranma again and not only that, Ranma had gone off with that hussy Shampoo. Akane vowed to make that pervert—

(Climax Jump-Hip Hop version plays)

Hey, where did that music come from?

Everyone looked towards the gate to see several older teens break dancing with one in the lead. They all danced into the school grounds, following their leader who appeared to be the best dancer of them all. The hip-hop music played loudly as the break-dancers moved wildly. The most shocking thing was to see Ranma in the lead, dancing.

"RANMA!?" Akane shrieked in confusion and shock.

"Hey, is that Ranma?" one boy asked.

"Where did he learn to move like that?" another boy asked back.

"Wow, look at him go!" a girl added.

"He's like a hip-hop master!" said another boy.

Ranma Purple then stepped over to Akane and Kuno. He stared at both before tipping his cap. He stared at Kuno and then snapped his fingers, pointing them in the air. The music and dancing stopped and then he pointed his finger at Kuno. "Shall I beat you up now?" Ranma Purple asked, grinning.

Kuno then asked, "What is this? A challenge to the great Tatewaki Kuno?"

Ranma Purple then cupped a hand around his ear and said, "I don't hear an answer!" He then snapped his fingers and pointed to one of his break-dancers who was holding a boom box. "Hit it!"

The hip-hop music began to play as Kuno went on the attack.

(Double Action-Gun Form plays)

"Yaaahhh!" Kuno roared as he attempted to cut Ranma Purple down the middle.

The purple-tressed boy merely twisted to the side in a move similar to several dances before placing a similarly styled elbow strike into Kuno's head. The Kendo artist stumbled forward slightly before turning to face his opponent once again. Ranma Purple only had a silly grin on his face. Kuno growled angrily before charging again. Ranma Purple only bounced slightly on his feet as Kuno came closer. Kuno tried a horizontal strike but Ranma Purple immediately dropped to the ground before sweeping his feet in a full circle which knocked Kuno to the ground.

"You're so slow!" Ranma Purple laughed.

"Silence knave!" Kuno bellowed as he got to his feet and tried another assault.

Akane and all the other students watched on in deep interest as the fight continued. It wasn't because of the outcome; they knew Kuno was going to get creamed. It was because Ranma was using a new fighting style and it was fun to watch.

"I fight on!" Kuno growled.

"Meh," Ranma Purple sighed. "I'm getting bored."

"I shall defeat you today and free my loves!" Kuno roared as he charged again.

"So much talking!" Ranma Purple whined before going into a split as Kuno tried to stab him. He then rolled back as Kuno was recovering from the miss before going into a series of flying twists which had his feet slamming into Kuno's head. Several blows rained down at a rather rapid pace before Kuno finally went down. He couldn't even give a weak protest like he usually did because he was hit so hard. Ranma Purple ended his assault by pointing at the sky while looking down. He then pointed at Kuno with a frown.

(End Double Action-Gun Form)

"You're boring!" he whined. "No fun!"

Ranma Purple then turned to the break-dancers who were watching the fight with interest, "I'll see you guys later! I gotta go to school!"

"'Kay, Boss!" the break-dancers cheered before they began dancing their way away from Furinkan.

Ranma Purple then turned his attention to school building with an excited smile on his face, "Now to go to school just like Nee-chan said. Looks like fun!"

Ranma Purple then danced his way into the school. Students then began whispering among themselves excitedly like they always did when something new happened.

"Did you see that?!" asked one boy.

"Ranma totally destroyed Kuno!" smiled another.

"Good riddance!" sighed a third.

"Did Ranma seem cuter to you than before?" asked one girl.

"Cute nothing! He's adorable today!" sighed another girl.

"Do you think I can get a date tonight?" wondered a third.

Akane barely listened as she watched Ranma Purple vanish in the building. She was now officially concerned. He always held back against Kuno, but today he decimated him. Just what was going on with her reluctant fiancé?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happosai was enjoying another daylight panty raid. There was just some thrill about getting away with it in broad daylight which made the chase so much more thrilling. It wasn't like anyone could stop him anyway. He was a grandmaster of a martial arts school and with his skills he could do pretty much anything he wanted. Only Genma's boy and Pantyhose Taro could come close to stopping him and neither were anywhere in sight, so he was free to do whatever his perverted little heart desired.

Above the ancient lecher, a sphere of energy hovered above and watched him go along his merry way. It soon decided that someone as selfish, lazy, and greedy as this old man would definitely have a wish or two they wanted to have fulfilled. Acting quickly, it dove down and rammed into Happosai with a loud crash.

"Hmm?" the old man blinked. "What was that?"

Sand began to pour from his body and collect around his feet. Happosai immediately saw what was happening and leaped back to face it. He worked hard for this haul and there was no way that he was going to let some weird sand risk it.

Happosai was slightly surprised to see a body from the torso up rise form the pile. Its legs dangled from above. The creature itself looked a lot like a monkey.

"Tell me your greatest desire," the Monkey Imagin whispered with a deep voice. "I will make it come to reality."

Happosai's eyes were wide as the implications hit him. He only had one thing to say to this sort of situation.

"SWEETO!"

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Ranma Purple sat in class, bored out of his mind. The teacher was going on and on about something he didn't even care about. However, he was going to stay in school because his Nee-chan told him to.

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Meanwhile, Nabiki was getting some new info from one of her lackeys. Kuno had been admitted into the school's infirmary, unconscious and with numerous bruises inflicted onto his body…by Ranma.

Nabiki knew that this could only have been done by that new Imagin and judging by the state Kuno was in it didn't have any interest in holding back. She would need to confront it before it did anything rash.

----------------------------------------------------**DenLiner**---------------------------------------------------

"Waaagh!" Momotaros growled angrily as the fuse to his short temper got short and shorter. "Where is he? I can't find Ranma anywhere!"

"My luck isn't much better," Urataros sighed as he rested his chin on his hands while sitting down.

"I cannot find him either," Kintaros reported.

"Nothing?" asked Hana in quickly growing concern.

The Taros-Tacchi had lost contact with Ranma that morning and had been trying to catch up with him ever since. They were all worried about what happened, but they could agree about it being one thing: another Imagin had decided to take Ranma as a host. This one was strong too if he could cut off the connection while Ranma was conscious as well. Only Momotaros looked forward to fighting this guy if he ever found his way to DenLiner.

"Don't you have any idea where he might be?" Hana asked worriedly.

"I don't think he's left Nerima," Urataros spoke up. "We only get flashes of what Ranma has been thinking about, but so far nothing we would see outside of the district."

"That's something," Naomi commented.

"What do you see?" Hana pressed.

"Stores," Momotaros grumbled. "Names in Nerima we've seen before."

"Nnnn," Hana frowned. That definitely wasn't much to go on. Even if the stores were unique, there would still be a lot of ground to cover and Ranma could be gone by the time they got there. She then turned to the newest arrival in hopes of getting something out of him.

"Zzzzzzzz," Kintaros snored, having fallen asleep again.

"Baka!" Hana snapped, placing her destructive right punch into Kintaros' face. He sputtered as he woke up and shook his head to get the dizziness out. "This is no time to be sleeping!"

Kintaros grumbled a little before his snoring resumed. Hana just sighed in agitation before walking to the front of the car. She took one last look at the Taros-Tacchi and Naomi before she made her announcement.

"I'll look for Ranma myself," she frowned. "You'd better let me know if you find something."

Two nods came from Urataros and Momotaros while Kintaros continued to snore. Hana's frowned deepened before she exited the train car and headed for the exit so she could get off. She was determined to find Ranma and sock that Imagin a good one for stealing his body.

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Lunch time came and Ranma Purple planted himself under a tree. Held in his hand was the bento his 'beloved Nee-chan' had prepared for him. He looked forward to the meal that she'd cooked for him. As he was ready to pull the lid off, he heard a shrill shriek.

"RANMA!" Akane shouted as she marched towards him, carrying a bento she had probably violated with her own non-existent cooking skills. Following close behind was also Ukyo as she carried a plate of okonomiyaki for her Ranchan.

Ranma Purple tilted his head to the side. What did these girls want with him anyway? He looked through his host's memories and then realization crossed over his face.

"Yes?" he asked, almost innocently. Akane sat down and opened up the bento and Ranma Purple grimaced at both the smell and appearance. "I made you lunch. Eat it!"

"Hey, Ranchan, here's a nice hot and steamy plate of okonomiyaki for you, sugar," Ukyo tempted, holding the plate in front of him and raising Akane's ire.

Ranma Purple looked at the okonokiyaki. It sure looked more appetizing than what Akane had made. At least Ukyo's looked like actual food and not like something that had been executed by electrocution. The okonomiyaki would have been nice but he just shook his head, declining them, much to Ukyo's shock and Akane's anger. "No, I think I'll eat the lunch Nee-chan made me."

"Ranma, you WILL EAT my lunch!" Akane growled.

"No, I wanna eat what Nee-chan made me!" Ranma Purple protested, sounding like a child. "You can't make me!"

"RANMA!" Akane threw a fist but Ranma Purple easily dodged it.

"You nearly made me drop Nee-chan's lunch!" Ranma Purple shouted angrily. He placed the bento down gently and then said to Akane, challenging her "Do you want to fight me, now?"

Ukyo blinked. Did Ranma just challenge Akane to a fight? Ranma would never do such a thing. Ranma would not even refuse her Okonomiyaki and who was he calling 'Nee-chan'? There was something definitely up with her fiancé today.

"I can't hear you!" Ranma Purple smirked, which caused Akane's temper to rise several notches.

"Hyah!" Akane cried as she tried to hit Ranma Purple with one of her reliable haymaker punches which never failed to hit the baka and send him flying.

Well, it never failed until now that is.

Ranma Purple slipped right past like he was in the middle of a dance. He skipped past Akane as the temper challenged girl continued to rain punches down on him. Not that she hit him. Akane's temper was quickly reaching critical mass with every failed attempt to clobber Ranma Purple.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane shrieked with another punch aimed right at Ranma Purple's face.

"Hup!" Ranma Purple grinned as he ducked underneath the blow by doing something similar to what was called 'the worm'. Akane had put too much momentum into the move and stumbled while Ranma Purple got back to his feet fairly quickly. Akane turned and was about to try another hit when something slammed into her stomach with the force of a wrecking ball.

"HOOF!" Akane gasped as she stumbled backwards before falling to her knees. The wind had been knocked out of her lungs and she was having trouble breathing.

Ranma Purple frowned as he saw that Akane wasn't getting back up, "Awww. Is that all? I thought this would be fun since you're better than Bokken-san."

Akane started sniffling as her entire reality started crashing down on her. Ever since Ranma had come to Nerima, she lost her status at being the best martial artist. Over time she accepted that she wasn't the best. She told herself that she was one of the best. Anyone who could land a blow on Ranma had to be good, right? Akane's rage failed her as her shock and depression poured in. She thought she was good, but Ranma practically wasn't there when she tried to hit him. He completely avoided every attack she threw and with one punch, put her down. She found herself completely outclassed.

"RANMA YOU JERK!" Akane cried before running off. Ranma Purple was now rather confused at why she ran off crying like that.

"Why is Tomato-chan crying?" Ranma Purple asked innocently. "It can't be because she lost."

Ukyo could only stare in shock. Ranma had not only challenged Akane to a fight, but actually hit her! Ukyo knew that there was no way Akane would win, but Ranma had actually hit her and put her down with one punch. When did this drastic change happen?

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There were several shrieks coming from a locker room from one of the nearby schools as a strange figure leapt to its escape. It carried on its back a bag filled with unmentionable articles of clothing. Okay, it had stolen panties and bras.

The Monkey Imagin had golden armbands with a gold chestplate. Its arms were as hairy with red fur as expected. Its face looked a lot like a gorilla's, but it had a gold band resting over its forehead. Its feet looked bare save for a pair of sandals that were strapped to its feet.

The Monkey Imagin roof-hopped swiftly to make its escape and began to wonder if all this hassle was worth it to grant its contractor's wish. Well, right now, all it had to do was to grant the wish and be done with it. For some reason, that old man creeped it out and it was a monster for crying out loud!

The following crowd of enraged females didn't seem to care much for his appearance either.

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Nabiki had heard from one of her lackeys that they'd witnessed Ranma both challenging Akane to a fight and fighting back, causing the youngest Tendo girl to run away crying. Nabiki narrowed her eyes. She may have been known to be an ice queen, but she still cared for her sister. She walked around the corner of the school and saw Ranma Purple happily eating his lunch under the tree. Ukyo had left earlier seeing as her attempts were unsuccessful and that his behaviour was a bit strange. Nabiki knew the reason all too well. She then marched over to the possessed young man.

"Excuse me," Nabiki said as she stood in front of Ranma Purple, arms crossed.

"Yes?" Ranma Purple looked up. From Ranma's memories he recognized her. "Ah, Nee-san!" He added, "Would you like to have lunch with me? Nee-chan's cooking is really good!"

'_Nee-chan?_' Nabiki wondered. '_Is he talking about Kasumi?_' She waved off the offer, saying, "I already ate. Now, do you want to tell me why you made Akane cry?"

Ranma Purple put the bento down and stood up. He replied, "Tomato-chan was being a meanie so I had to teach her a lesson."

"Tomato-chan?" Nabiki repeated, quirking an eyebrow. "You mean Akane?"

"Yes, when she gets angry her face becomes red like a big tomato!" Ranma Purple laughed. "She wanted me to eat something but I said no so she got mad."

"Sounds like Akane. So, you fought her?"

"Yes!" Ranma Purple snapped his fingers.

"Okay, I know you're not Ranma, so what's your real name?" Nabiki asked, crossly.

"Ryutaros!" he announced as he did a few dance steps.

"Ryutaros, huh?" Nabiki repeated. She wondered what this Imagin really looked like.

"You're smart. You knew I wasn't Ranma," Ranma Purple said, tipping his cap. "Just like Ranma said. Only Nee-chan figured it out so far."

"Ranma said…I was smart?" Nabiki blinked.

"Ranma always thought you were so smart. Smarter than the panda and the man who cries a lot and Tomato-chan!" Ranma Purple laughed again.

Wow, Ranma really thought of that of her? Wait a minute…this Imagin could be lying.

"Ryutaros, why did you want to possess Ranma?" Nabiki asked him.

"Easy," Ranma Purple grinned before spinning on the spot and pointed at Nabiki. "I'm gonna defeat Ranma!"

"What?" Nabiki gasped. A block of ice just dropped into her gut. She already knew that Imagin were pretty strong. She also knew that Ranma could throw out Momotaros, Urataros, and Kintaros just by concentrating and using his ki. If he didn't do this to Ryutaros then this Imagin was really strong or Ranma was out cold. "Why?"

"'Cause if I do," Ranma Purple smiled, doing a few more dance steps. "I'll be able to become the conductor of the train of time, DenLiner!"

"DenLiner?" asked Nabiki, now very confused. "What's that?"

"You don't know?" Ranma Purple gaped incredulously. "It's only the coolest train ever! You're able to go anywhere in time on it!"

"Okay," Nabiki frowned, not sure what the possessed boy in front of her was talking about. "So who told you that you could be a conductor if you beat Ranma?"

"Uh..." Ranma Purple suddenly froze before going into a thinking pose. "Uh, I don't know. I just know for some reason."

This started ringing bells in Nabiki's head. If Ryutaros couldn't remember who told him to defeat Ranma then someone was obviously pulling the strings. Judging by the way Ranma Purple acted, then Ryutaros was really just a kid. He was naive in a lot of places, even if he was a powerful fighter and a good dancer too.

"So...what does this DenLiner have to do with Ranma?" Nabiki asked but then heard some screaming. "What the-?"

Ranma Purple's eyes shot wide open and he clapped his hand. "It's an Imagin!" he then ran towards the sound. "Time to play! Haha!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Nabiki called out. "Come back!"

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The Monkey Imagin had just broken into the girls' locker room in Furinkan and breaking open the lockers and pulling out the girls' bloomers. Aside from undies, Happosai also liked girls' gym shorts. The girls cringed in the corner as they were only clad in their underwear. The Monkey Imagin approached them and demanded, "Give me your underwear…"

The girls then blinked. Say what?

The Monkey Imagin huffed before pulling out a large red staff with gold ends. He then raised it above his head before slamming it down on the ground. The earth shook as cracks ran through the ground and scared the girls out of the minds.

"I do not relish this," the Monkey Imagin growled. "So give me your underwear and I will get out of your hair!"

Several girls were greatly considering the proposition when the door to the locker room slammed wide open as Ranma Purple leaped in with a roll and stood up straight while pointing at the Monkey Imagin. He froze slightly when he saw the half-dressed girls and the Imagin with several gym shorts in its hands.

"Eeewww!" Ranma Purple grimaced. "Hentai Imagin!"

"Gah!" The Monkey Imagin flinched. "I'm not doing this because I want to! I just have a contract to fulfill!"

"Hentai! Hentai! Hentai!" Ranma Purple laughed. His attention then turned to the girls that were in the corner of the room. "Aren't you cold like that?"

The girls weren't sure if they should be upset or thankful that a boy was seeing them in their underwear. Of course, they knew that Ranma wasn't a pervert despite Akane's claims so they decided not to say anything.

The door slammed open again as Nabiki came through to see what was happening. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the Monkey Imagin.

"WOAH!" she cried in shock. Her eyes then landed on the girls and she managed to get some of her rationale back. "What are you waiting for? Run!"

The girls didn't need to be told twice as they bolted from the room. A lot of them held their towels close so not to give the other boys of Furinkan a free show. They were perverted enough as it was.

"Oh!" Ranma Purple grinned. "Nee-san!"

"You! Damn you!" The Monkey Imagin howled before he swung down his staff and struck at Ranma Purple who jumped away playfully. He then danced back, making the Monkey Imagin miss and hitting the lockers instead, denting them.

Nabiki just watched the fight in wonder and quickly backed away as Ranma Purple led the Monkey Imagin on. Ranma Purple danced as he ducked and avoided the swings of the Imagin who wanted to destroy the boy for getting in its way.

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Meanwhile, Hana was investigating around Furinkan when she heard the sounds of a fight. She raced towards the source.

"Oi, Hana!" a rough voice called and she turned to see the sandy form of Momotaros following after her.

"Momotaros? What are you doing here?" she asked the Imagin. She had to look down since his upper half was rising from the ground as his lower half dangled above him.

"Looking for Ranma, what else!" he shouted back in retort before adding, "I also sensed an Imagin too! I think Ranma's in trouble!"

"Let's go then!" Hana ran as Momotaros followed after her.

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The Monkey Imagin was trying to hit this kid but was quickly growing annoyed as he danced around its attacks. He even played music which came out of the headphones he was wearing around his neck. This further infuriated the Monkey Imagin.

"Stand still!" the Monkey Imagin demanded, angrily.

"No way, Hentai Imagin!" Ranma Purple laughed.

"Stop calling me that!"

"Hentai! Hentai! Hentai! Hahaha!!!" Ranma Purple laughed as he clapped.

"ARGH!!!"

The door of the locker room was slammed open again. Nabiki turned her attention to the door and saw a young woman about Kasumi's age with long black hair, a white blouse, and a black skirt. She looked slightly panicked, but the most incredible thing was that Momotaros was with her as they came inside the locker room. Nabiki's mind was already making a point to ask this woman a few questions.

"Ranma!" Hana cried as she witnessed the unfolding fight.

"Huh?" Ranma Purple blinked as he turned to look at her. He then smiled. "Oh. Hi, Hana-chan!"

"RAGH!" the Monkey Imagin roared as he took another swing at Ranma Purple.

"Look out!" Momotaros roared.

"Hup!" Ranma Purple grinned as he did the splits before tripping up the Imagin. He then leaped to his feet and hopped away from the down Imagin.

"You bastard!" Momotaros raged, running (so to speak) up to Ranma Purple. "You could have gotten Ranma killed! Bakayarou!"

Ranma Purple just did a sweep kick as he twisted around and pounded Momotaros into loose sand.

"Momotaros!" Hana cried in shock. She was about to step forward when she felt someone grab her arm. She turned to see Nabiki looking at her with an intent gaze. Hana now felt that she was going to be on the receiving end of an interrogation pretty soon. Before Nabiki could begin her questioning though, Ranma Purple started talking again.

"Now for the really cool stuff!" he smiled as he raised the Terminal Belt and in one simple twist, wrapped it around his waist. He reached down and pressed the purple button which caused the symbol in the centre to turn purple and a techno tune to start playing.

"Henshin!" Ranma Purple called as he revealed the Hyper Pass. He then passed it over the buckle.

"**Gun Form!**" the belt called before Rama was engulfed in the basic black and white armor of Den-O. The additional pieces of armor soon appeared as they swirled around him. It looked as if it was going to take a similar configuration to Sword Form. The yellow and black plates attached to his back while the red and white plates hit his shoulders. The front red plates, however, opened by joints near the top which had purple chest plates with silver sections on them. The shoulder horns had dragon's arms reaching up and looked like they were grasping purple orbs. When these plates finally became attached, a purple and gold dragon came sliding down Den-O's face. It had purple wings and a gold head with orange eyes and gold whiskers. When it covered his face, the wings folded downward before pressing together and attached to his face. He now had a purple visor which doubled as horns and gold whiskers which followed their direction.

Den-O GF did a small twist on the spot before he struck a pose and pointed at the Monkey Imagin.

"Mind if I destroy you now?" he asked (almost) innocently. "I don't hear an answer!"

"Ranma?" Nabiki murmured in shock at the change. Hana looked shocked too.

"Den-O!?" Hana gasped.

"Den-O?" Nabiki repeated, curiously.

"So, you're Den-O, huh?" the Monkey Imagin said. "You look a lot different from what I heard."

Den-O GF just tilted his head to the side and then charged at the Monkey Imagin. The Imagin then struck with its staff only for Den-O GF to duck before he struck the Imagin hard in the chin with an uppercut. The Monkey Imagin staggered back before Den-O GF twisted his body and planted a powerful kick that sent the Monkey Imagin out through the door. Den-O GF then danced after it.

Nabiki was stuck standing there at what she'd seen and then looked towards Hana. Momotaros had reformed himself and growled.

"That jerk! Come back here!" he rushed out of the door. Hana followed after him, and Nabiki joined her, wanting answers.

(Double Action-Gun Form plays)

Den-O GF was toying with the Monkey Imagin as it attacked him relentlessly. He danced around and planted a few good hits that caused it to stagger. The Monkey Imagin felt like it was being toyed with and growled angrily.

Den-O GF then said, "Let's see what new toy I get." He reached for the pieces of the DenGasher and joined the first three pieces together before throwing up the fourth. He was also dodging his opponent's attacks whilst doing this. When the final piece came down, it attached itself to the rest of the weapon, forming a gun. The Monkey Imagin's eyes widened.

"Bang!" Den-O GF shouted before pulling the trigger and shooting the Monkey Imagin directly in the chest. "Now this is fun!"

Students were running from the battle while trying to catch a glimpse of it at the same time. The Monkey Imagin was getting its butt handed to it as Den-O GF kept shooting at it, forcing it further back. A lot of the students were cheering for Den-O while the tokusatsu otaku in the school were drooling and going into small riots at what they were seeing. The one girl, Suzume, had fainted at seeing a real battle like the one she had seen when Ranma Blue had taken her out on a date.

"Ha ha ha!" Den-O GF laughed. "Boom boom!"

The fight continued through the halls and soon, the Monkey Imagin was sent crashing through the doors of the school into the schoolyard. All the students were crowding on the balconies to try and get a good view of the fight. Nabiki was too intent on getting some answers that she even forgot about the betting opportunities that this little event brought up.

Den-O GF started shooting at a more rapid pace. The Monkey Imagin was hard-pressed to keep up. The bullets were hitting with the force of a cannon and when it tried hitting the ground to make the ground shake underneath Den-O GF, the Rider would just hop out of the way in his usual dancing fighting style.

"This is fun!" Den-O GF laughed as he continued to take more shots at his opponent.

"This is nuts! I'm getting out of here!" the Monkey Imagin cried out as he turned to run. He dashed straight out of the school.

"Running away?" Den-O GF wondered. "No way, the game's not over!" He pointed at the retreating Imagin and snapped his fingers. The DenBird soon raced into the scene, coming up behind Den-O GF. He then leapt up, did a back flip and landed on the seat before gripping the handles and racing after his opponent, "Ready or not, here I come!"

"Oh, damn it!" the Imagin shouted as Den-O GF gave chase upon the DenBird. Not only that, the Rider was also taking shots at it. He didn't want his 'playmate' to get away so soon. His bullets forced the Imagin to go in another direction each time it went for the gate as Den-O GF maneuvered his bike to chase after it.

"Tag, you're it!" Den-O GF laughed.

More and more shots exploded against the ground and left small craters. The Monkey Imagin was definitely a quick one. It was keeping ahead of Den-O GF and the DenBird with some amount of effort. Finally, the Monkey Imagin reached the school and leaped straight at the building. Using his strength, he punched climbing holes for his hands and feet. Using them, he began a quick pace up the side of the building.

"I don't think so!" Den-O GF laughed as he stopped DenBird. He held the pass over the buckle. "**Full Charge!**" it called before he began to take aim. The purple stream of energy transferred from the belt into the gun.

"He'll hit the other kids!" cried Hana.

"He wouldn't!" gasped Nabiki.

"Ranma!" cried Momotaros.

"Gonna get you!" Den-O GF teased as he prepared to shoot. The gun was starting to charge up. Suddenly...

'_NO!_' a voice cried in his head.

"Huh?" Den-O GF blinked before his body started to stiffen. "Un! No...fair!"

'_Get out!'_ Ranma's voice cried as a blue aura appeared around Den-O GF's body.

"I'm...not...done!" Den-O GF protested as his own purple aura snaked into the blue.

'_It's my body!_' Ranma barked.

"It's my...turn!" Den-O GF protested as he tried to fight back.

The blue aura sneaked into Den-O GF's legs and he got off DenBird before stumbling over towards Hana, Nabiki, and Momotaros.

"Meanie!" Den-O GF whined as he felt his control slipping.

'_GET OUT!_' Ranma roared, flaring his aura. A purple image of...something, suddenly burst from Ranma's body as the Terminal Belt was removed. The purple and black armor vanished to reveal Ranma, panting heavily.

"Ranma!" Hana and Momotaros cried as they raced to their friend. Ranma was breathing too heavily to respond for a few moments.

"He's strong," Ranma gasped. "He...he's strong enough to match Saffron!"

Nabiki paled when she heard that. Ryutaros was strong enough to match the phoenix god who had almost killed her sister? Just how deep was she in?

----------------------------------------------------**DenLiner**----------------------------------------------------

"Waaaagh!" a new voice cried before a purple mass fell from out of a purple haze of energy and landed on the floor hard.

This was the new Imagin that was moving in. He looked like he had a large purple trench coat on which had black designs on it. He was wearing white gloves, purple pants, and purple boots. The shoulders had fins running from them as well. His head was purple and very dragon-like. He had both fins and whiskers running along the sides with a pair of horns on top of his head. A long braid of purple hair ran from the back of his head while it looked almost like he had a pair of headphones.

"Oh?" Urataros gasped as he saw the new Imagin. "Is this young one the Imagin that was giving us trouble?"

"Impressive for one so young," Kintaros acknowledged before cracking his neck.

"Welcome to DenLiner!" Naomi smiled brightly, despite Ryutaros still groaning on the floor. She was beginning to make another cup of coffee for their newest guest.

"Owchie," Ryutaros groaned. "I didn't know Ranma could do that! How'd he do that?"

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Ranma panted as getting rid off Ryutaros took a lot out of him. Hana was there to help him stand while Momotaros was grumbling about the intruder that had taken Ranma's body out on a joyride.

Nabiki, meanwhile, was putting the pieces together. '_DenLiner…A train that can travel through time…that armor…_' She stared at Ranma. '_It all fits!_' She remembered all the photos she had taken in the past and all the armored men had worn similar looking suits of armor.

"So, you know now, huh, Nabiki?" Ranma said, looking at the middle Tendo sister with a degree of suspicion. He knew she would want the whole story now.

"A bit, but I want to know the WHOLE story, Ranma," Nabiki said, eyes narrowed and hands on her hips.

"Okay, I guess you deserve it."

Hana was surprised, "Ranma, are you sure?"

"Nabiki and Kasumi already know about the other Taros," Ranma told Hana. "It's high time they heard the whole truth. But first, we need to pick up Kasumi."

"Kasumi?" Nabiki wondered. "Why?"

"Because, I was awake when Ryutaros was controlling my body and he sees Kasumi like an older sister, one that he loves and will listen too. We need her if we want to keep him under control."

"I can do that easily," Momotaros said angrily as he pounded his fist into his palm. "That brat needs a spanking."

"Later, Momotaros. Let's just go."

"Come on, then," Hana said to Nabiki as they led the middle Tendo daughter towards a random door. She wondered what the Owner would say about this.

"Good thing we're stopping at home," Nabiki muttered. "There are a few things I want to pick up." Ranma did not like the feeling running down his spine caused by her words.


	8. Neechan!

I do not own Kamen Rider Den-O or Ranma 1/2. They belong to their respective creators and not me. I'm just doing this because it is fun and the readers enjoy it. I hope that my readers continue to enjoy my works as I continue writing them.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 8: Nee-chan!

Hana and Ranma were walking to a nearby door where no one would see them enter. Actually, Hana was helping Ranma walk to that door. For the better part of the morning, Ranma had been possessed by a new Imagin calling himself Ryutaros. He had beaten up both Akane and Kuno before turning his sights on a new Imagin who had been on a panty raid. The fight had pretty much ensured that classes wouldn't resume for a while. Ryutaros, as Den-O GF, almost blew a huge hole into the side of the school before Ranma managed to wrestle control away from him. It left him feeling exhausted and feeling like he was fighting someone comparable to Saffrom.

Nabiki was following close behind the two as they headed for a door. She had actually witnessed Ranma Purple's transformation into Den-O GF. After hearing about DenLiner from Ranma Purple, she began to put the pieces together about the armored figure she had seen fighting monsters in the past. Seeing Den-O in action just made everything fit together perfectly. Granted, she didn't know the whole story, but she wasn't about to let this mystery pass by her unsolved. She would find out the mysteries behind this 'Den-O' and she wanted to find out about them now!

Momotaros had been with the three, but he had long since gone back to DenLiner. No doubt he was just itching to give Ryutaros a piece of his mind for stealing Ranma's body out of the blue like he did. Ranma could testify how strong Ryutaros was, and he didn't envy Momotaros' chances of actually 'teaching the brat a lesson'.

"So where is this DenLiner you were talking about?" she asked impatiently.

"It's close," Hana sighed. "You should be glad Ranma's generous enough to let you know about it."

"Well, after seeing Ranma turn into something out of a tokusatsu show and almost blow a good portion of the school away, I think the secret's out!" Nabiki huffed.

"Okay," Ranma sighed tiredly, as he and Hana stopped in front of a back door to the school. "This should be good. Are we in time?"

"Yes," Hana nodded before she checked her watch. "We still have a little time before DenLiner pulls in."

Ranma nodded before he fell silent. Nabiki just watched the two interact with passing interest. She normally could have given notices to the fiancées about Hana, but she knew that she was getting in deep enough as it was. She didn't want to make things any worse than they were. Her attention returned to the two in front of her as they opened the door. She was expecting to see the insides of the school, but her jaw dropped when she saw what she did. She found herself looking at a desert landscape which was very picturesque, yet had an aura of amazement in it as well.

"Are you coming or what?" asked Ranma

Nabiki stared at the landscape for a moment before she recovered herself. Shaking her head, she followed the two people in front of her into the desert. After stepping through the door, it closed behind her and left the three standing in the sand.

"Well?" Nabiki asked impatiently. "Where's this 'Train of Time' that Ryutaros seemed so excited about?"

"Just wait for it," Hana huffed as she helped Ranma get situated.

Nabiki just crossed her arms on her chest and waited. After a moment, she thought that she was hearing something coming. Looking into the distance, she was hearing a whistle of some sort. At first there was something small in the distance, but it was coming incredibly fast. Nabiki guessed that it was the train everyone was talking about, but she was confused on where the tracks were for it to pull up to them were.

A clicking noise answered her as she witnessed tracks rising out of the ground and placing themselves perfectly on the ground. The train's whistle caught her attention and she saw the red and white train much closer than before. She silently accepted that it was a good design as she watched it pull up in front of the three. It finally stopped at one of the passenger cars before a door opened on the side and stairs unfolded.

"Let's go," Ranma smiled as he and Hana walked for the stairs. Nabiki was a little more suspicious about the whole thing, but she figured if Ranma was okay with all this, she could survive easily enough. With that thought in mind, she followed her two companions onto DenLiner.

They entered into a small corridor before entering the Dining Car. She wasn't sure what to expect, but after living in Nerima for so long, she was sure that she would be able to handle anything that this time travelling train could throw at her.

"Welcome to DenLiner!" an incredibly cheery voice cried in welcoming.

Nabiki blinked as she turned to face the cheery young woman in the outfit which hugged her body in ways which would get her a fan club at Furinkan overnight.

"Nee-san!"

"Nabiki?"

"Nabiki-chan?"

"Nabiki?"

Nabiki turned to the other four voices and her eyes widened at what she saw. She found herself looking at three Taros Imagin that she knew and one that was brand new. She knew the body shapes, but she didn't recognize the color schemes that decorated them. Momotaros was now red and black, Urataros was blue and dark blue, and Kintaros was yellow and black. What was even more surprising was that they were all solid.

"Momotaros? Urataros? Kintaros?" Nabiki blinked dumbly. It wasn't often that she was surprised by anything, but this was one of those few things that could surprise her.

"Nee-san!" the fourth, purple and black Imagin cried. "What about me? I'm here too!"

"R-Ryutaros?" Nabiki continued to gape. She hadn't been expecting to see him here. Ironically, she had been wondering about a little while ago just what he would look like.

"Take a seat, Nabiki," Urataros offered, tapping one of the booths. "This is the best seat in the house."

"Hey, Flirt!" Momotaros snapped. "Don't you try anything funny!"

"Wouldn't dream of it, Sempai," Urataros replied casually.

Kintaros approached Nabiki and then bowed. "It is an honor to have you aboard DenLiner," he said before he snapped his neck.

"Wow, Nee-san, you're here!" Ryutaros approached Nabiki but then his eyes fell upon Ranma who was glaring at him. He stepped back a bit. Momotaros was glaring at the back of his head while Ranma was glaring at his face. He twisted his body and fell back to take a seat at one of the dining booths, pulling the headphones over and listening to rap music.

Nabiki looked around. "This is some set up you got here, Ranma."

Ranma could nearly see the gears turning in her head. "Don't get any ideas, Nabiki."

"Who, me?" Nabiki said. "Would I?"

"In a heartbeat."

Nabiki rolled her eyes and sat down before Ranma and Hana sat down with her. Hana began to explain about everything, from the day Ranma became Den-O to the purpose of the DenLiner. Nabiki listened to this incredible tale with great interest. Naomi made three cups of coffee and served it to them. Nabiki stared at her cup with some uneasiness. The foam was colorful and too much. Ryutaros silently drank his cup of coffee that had purple foam on it.

Momotaros grew impatient and suddenly shot out of his seat, angrily, "Hey! What are we going to do with this brat!?"

Hearing this through his headphones, Ryutaros stood up crossly. "I am not a brat!" he screamed.

"Why you!" Momotaros growled. "Time for your spanking!" He went to throw a fist at Ryutaros but was restrained by Kintaros and Urataros.

"Wait a minute, Sempai. We need to find out more about him," Urataros said calmly.

"Let me go! This brat needs a beating!" Momotaros raged on.

"Quite an interesting crew," Nabiki commented.

"They're okay, which reminds me…" Ranma turned to look at Ryutaros, eyes narrowed. "Where did you come from? I mean, when did you possess me?"

Ryutaros got into a thinking pose before snapping his fingers and then pointing at Urataros, "The same time as Kame-chan!"

Everyone turned to look at a surprised Urataros, "Me!?"

---------------------------------------------**Flashback**-------------------------------------------------

_As Ranma lay in his food poisoning induced unconsciousness, the world around him seemed to remain still. Nabiki was out and Kasumi hadn't witnessed the incident while the fathers had walked past and assumed that Ranma had done something to make Akane mad so they would just have the boy apologize later and try to get them hitched yet again._

_While Ranma was out cold, a yellow orb descended from the sky and into the Tendo yard. It moved straight past Akane, who was crushing dummies in the dojo again. It even passed by Genma and Soun who were plotting to get their children hitched yet again. Any one of those people could have a huge list of wishes that it could grant. Instead, the yellow orb that was an Imagin went straight to Ranma's unconscious form. It hovered over him for a minute, as if considering its actions. After it decided, the Imagin dove down and plunged itself into Ranma's body. The previous orb did not notice another one darting in at the same time._

--------------------------------------------**End Flashback**--------------------------------------------

"You've been in me THAT long?" Ranma was shocked.

"You used me as camouflage?" Urataros questioned.

"Yeah, but I was asleep all that time," Ryutaros said. "When the others were fighting, I woke up a bit but then went back to sleep."

"Wait a minute, that purple energy was you?" Momotaros was surprised.

---------------------------------------------**Flashback**-------------------------------------------------

"_Ranma-sama does not need you two controlling him like that. He needs someone strong!" Ranma Yellow said proudly, pounding his chest._

"_And that's me!" Ranma Red reasserted himself before Ranma Blue took over._

"_I believe I am the better choice. My cunning will help him out more," Ranma Blue said cockily._

"_No, me!" Ranma Yellow insisted._

"_Me!" Ranma Red pushed._

"_Me!" Ranma Blue argued._

"_ME!!!" All three Imagin shouted as they continuously struggled over control of Ranma's body. All of the sudden, a purple burst of energy sent the three Imagin flying out and they reappeared in the DenLiner in a heap._

_Ranma then groaned in pain as the confrontation wiped him out. However, he continued on his way home._

--------------------------------------------**End Flashback**--------------------------------------------

"Then I really woke up when that old lady tried to use magic!" Ryutaros added.

"That Old Ghoul…" Ranma hissed under his breath. They then heard a tapping sound and Nabiki looked at the door to see an elderly gentleman in a fine suit and holding a cane.

"Ranma Saotome," the Owner said coolly. "Why have you brought along this girl aboard DenLiner?"

Ranma gulped and Nabiki blinked. Why was this guy so scary?

"Hey, Owner, can you throw this brat out?" Momotaros asked.

"No way!" Ryutaros said, digging something out of his pocket. "I got a ticket."

"WHAT!?" everyone, except Nabiki and Owner, yelled out in shock. Within Ryutaros' white gloved hand was a ticket with his image on it. The ticket was already stamped. Owner stepped forward to inspect it and shook his head.

"I cannot throw out those who have a ticket," Owner replied.

"Oh, just great!" Momotaros groaned. "Now we're going to become babysitters!"

"Owner," Hana began. "We had no choice. Nabiki here saw Ranma transform."

"With such unavoidable circumstances, I will allow this. But, I will want a word with Miss Tendo," Owner said.

"Likewise," Nabiki retorted. "I want to know more about DenLiner here and what Ranma has to do with it."

"Very well. You deserve that much."

"Um…Owner?" Ranma asked nervously. "Can we pick up someone else?"

"Who?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kasumi was sweeping at the front gate when she heard a whistling sound. A warp sound followed a glowing multicolored portal opened up. Kasumi observed as train tracks appeared coming out of a portal before a train flew out of the portal and stopped in front of her.

The eldest Tendo daughter blinked. "What is a train doing all the way out here?"

One of the doors slid open and Ranma hopped out. He said to her, "Kasumi, we need you."

"Oh my," Kasumi blinked. She was beginning to feel excited. It wasn't often that she was involved in one of Ranma's adventures. But still…

"What's going on, Ranma?" she asked curiously.

"Uh…," Ranma frowned slightly. How to put this gently? "There's someone on the train who really wants to meet you."

Kasumi could only blink at that. As pretty as almost everyone in Nerima thought she was, Kasumi herself thought that she was rather plain. This was the first time she heard of anyone wanting to meet her.

"All right then," Kasumi nodded as she set down her broom and walked over to the train.

Before she could actually board though, Nabiki shoved past the pigtailed martial artist and entered the Tendo Dojo. Neither Ranma nor Kasumi had to wait very long before the middle Tendo daughter came back out with a shoebox. She didn't say two words before she entered the train again. Kasumi just gave a demure shrug before following her little sister.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nee-chan!" Ryutaros cried happily as he saw Kasumi walk into the dining car. He was instantly on his feet and running over to Kasumi before he captured her in the biggest hug he could manage.

"Hmm," Urataros nodded as he watched the event. "It seems Ryuta is very much attached to Kasumi-chan."

"Hmph!" Momotaros snorted angrily. He was still angry at the fact that Ryutaros would barely acknowledge them while he would stay glued to Kasumi.

"Kasumi-san is indeed an incredible woman," Kintaros nodded before he cracked his neck.

Owner watched on as he eyed the newest Imagin's happiness.

"So," Owner spoke. "This is why you wished for Kasumi Tendo to be here. Ryutaros is emotionally attached to her."

"Yes," Hana nodded quickly. Ranma could only nod without a word. Owner was a very intimidating person.

"Oh my," Kasumi blinked as she watched the purple Imagin back away and gaze at her adoringly.

"Very well," Owner nodded. "Hana, Ranma, I shall leave this in your hands."

Both people in question nodded before the older man stood up and exited the car. When he was gone, Ranma felt an amount of tension leave his body. Of course, his remaining tension stemmed from the fact that Nabiki was sending him an even stare.

"Okay, Ranma," Nabiki spoke up with an icy tone. "I think you owe me and Kasumi an explanation now."

"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "Take a seat everyone. This is going to take a while."

Naomi was quick to prepare several cups of coffee for everyone. Momotaros, Urataros, and Kintaros all took their usual seats while Nabiki took a seat in front of Ranma. Kasumi took a seat next to her sister with Ryutaros sitting on the floor, leaning on her legs. Hana just sat at the bar where Naomi was cleaning up.

"Well," Ranma sighed. "It's no secret between us that Momo, Ura, Kin, and Ryu are able to possess me and go do what they want."

"We know that, Ranma," Nabiki replied quickly. She then reached into her shoebox and pulled out some photos and slapped them down on the table. Everyone leaned in close to see them and were surprised to see Den-O SF, RF, and AF fighting different Imagin in each one. "I want to know about these."

"Eh?!" Momotaros cried as he clutched a photo of his version of Den-O. "You were stalking us or something?!"

"Not my best side," Urataros sighed as he examined his own photo.

"Hnn," Kintaros nodded. "Not bad."

"When you're someone like me, you learn to smell out the action," Nabiki retorted. "With how loud each of you guys were in your fights, it was easy to find and photograph you."

"Oh my," Kasumi gasped as she looked at the pictures. "Are these you, Ranma?"

"Sort of," Ranma sighed. "The one in red is Momotaros, the one in blue is Urataros, the one in yellow is Kintaros, while the purple one Nabiki saw today was Ryutaros. That form is called Den-O. It's our job to keep other Imagin from going back in time and changing the timeline."

Kasumi was surprised and let out an, "Oh, my," while Nabiki smirked.

"Let me guess; you got roped into this all by accident," Nabiki stated.

Ranma shrugged, "Yeah, pretty much. Like everything else in my lap it just falls right on top of me. I think fate likes to play with me a lot."

"But, this is quite a noble mission, Ranma," Kasumi said. "You're a hero, responsible for protecting all of time from being destroyed."

"Which is why I want both of you to swear to never tell anybody else about all this! If the Wrecking Crew found out…" he let it trail off, getting his point across. He didn't want to imagine the chaos Kuno and Kodachi would cause. The other cursed members would definitely use it to their own advantage and make it so they were never cursed. Heck, some of them would've used it to get rid of Ranma altogether…which was impossible since-

"So, what made you so special for this, Ranma?" Kasumi asked.

"Because Ranma is a Singularity Point," Hana answered for him.

"Singularity Point?" Kasumi repeated curiously.

"Basically, even if anyone tries to tamper with time to try and make it like Ranma never existed, he will still exist no matter what," Nabiki explained. "Urataros told me."

"It also makes him able to force an Imagin out and immune from getting tempted to make a wish," Hana added. "Because he is a Singularity Point, he can become Den-O."

"Hana-san," Kasumi asked, "Are you also a Singularity Point?"

Hana admitted, downcast, "Yes, I am."

"Where…I mean when did you come from?" Kasumi asked.

Hana looked to everyone and sighed before answering, "Nowhere…at least not anymore. My time…has been erased by Imagin."

Everyone looked at her in shock. Naomi just frowned.

"Hana…why didn't you tell me?" Ranma asked.

Hana, crossly, replied, "I had my reasons, Ranma."

"Here's some coffee!" Naomi offered Kasumi excitedly. Kasumi stared at the cup.

"This is colorful," she commented.

"Looks weird, but tastes good," Ranma shrugged. "Got too much foam, though."

"Oh, that new Imagin you fought…did you find out what it wanted?" Urataros asked.

Blushing, embarrassed, he answered, "Girls' bras and panties."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"WHAT!?" all the Taros, except for Ryutaros shouted out in shock.

"He was such a hentai, Nee-chan!" Ryutaros spoke up and then added proudly, "But I was able to chase it away! You should've seen it!"

"Not before trying to blow up the school!" Momotaros snapped. Kasumi gasped.

"Ryutaros…you tried to destroy the school?" Kasumi asked. The childish dragon Imagin fell silent.

"With the other students still in it," Nabiki added.

"Ryutaros, those people could've gotten hurt," Kasumi scolded, "That was a naughty thing to do."

"But, Nee-chan…" Ryutaros whined.

Momotaros snickered.

"Well, since we know what that Imagin wants, we can guess who made the wish," Nabiki said.

"The perverted little gnome," Ranma groaned. "I knew he would've made a wish sooner or later."

"Well, we need to find him and the Imagin," Hana stated.

"Oh, can I come?" Ryutaros raised his hand. "I wanna fight the Hentai Imagin again!"

"No way!" Momotaros snapped. "He's mine! You're grounded!"

"Now, Sempai…he's only a child. He doesn't know any better," Urataros said calmly.

"You just wanna make yourself look good in front of Kasumi," the red oni Imagin growled.

"I don't have to make myself look good," Urataros said proudly, "I already am."

"This Imagin must be stopped!" Kintaros spoke, popping his neck, "To protect the honor of women!"

"He has a good point," Ranma said. "But where are we gonna find the old letch?"

Nabiki became thoughtful. She looked at all the other Imagin. "Ranma, these guys can still walk around in our world, right?"

"Yeah," Ranma replied, "But since I never made a wish, they aren't solid. Why'd you ask?"

"I have a plan…" Nabiki smirked. Everyone huddled to listen.

----------------------------------------------**Later**--------------------------------------------

Ranma was leaning against a wall in the local bath house. Well, it was one of the only ones still in business since Happosai came to town. The ancient pervert enjoyed visiting and trying to peek on the woman's side. Most of those places went out of business since women didn't want to bathe in a place where the ancient pervert frequented. The men stopped going because the old fart would beat up anyone who tried to stop him and when Ranma tried, the old pervert would call it training to try and satisfy him.

'_As if I'm that stupid,_' Ranma grumbled inwardly as he kept an ear out for trouble.

"Why are we even here?" grumbled Momotaros grumpily. "I feel stupid being out in public like this!"

Ranma took a glance over at his Imagin partner and suppressed a snicker. Nabiki had made some calls and got some mascot costumes delivered to the dojo for the Taros-Tacchi to use. All they had to do was fill them up with their sandy bodies and they were good to go. They had drawn straws and Momotaros managed to get the tiger outfit. It didn't make him look any cooler though. He just looked like a guy in a yellow and black tiger costume.

"We're here because the old perv loves to go to places like this so he can steal panties," Ranma explained for what felt like the sixtieth time. "It's one of the only bath houses left so if he's gonna drop by one then chances are good that he's gonna stop here."

"Well," Momotaros huffed. "I still don't see why I have to be out in the open like this."

"You catch attention," Ranma shrugged. "The old man might notice you if he comes by and take a closer look. Then we can nab him."

"Rrrrr," Momotaros growled as he sulked against the wall.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lookit me, Nee-chan!" Ryutaros called out to Kasumi as he balanced on top of a bench.

"That's nice, Ryutaros," Kasumi smiled. "But could you please help me look for Grandfather Happosai? You know how important it is to find him."

"Okay, Nee-chan!" Ryutaros nodded rapidly, almost making his mascot wolf head fall off the rest of his body. The young Imagin had been disappointed at first about the choice, but once Kasumi said a few kind words to him, he was feeling much better.

The two of them were looking at the beach, another spot where Happosai liked to feed his 'habits'. He had stolen many sets of bikinis from the female beachgoers during the family trips to the beach. It wasn't too much of a stretch to believe that he would go about it when the family didn't go. He always came home with a full satchel of female garments and there was no way they could all be just panties.

"Nee-chan, why does Hentai-Man keep stealing girls' underwear?" Ryutaros asked innocently.

"Hmm," Kasumi pondered. This was the first time anyone had actually asked why Happosai did what he did, rather than try to hurt him for it. "I'm not very sure, Ryutaros. He's been doing it as long as I've known him. I think he did it when Daddy and Mr. Saotome were training under him too."

"Weird," Ryutaros shivered. "I don't like Hentai-Man. He looks like a meanie!"

"Now, now, Ryutaros," Kasumi chided gently. "Grandfather Happosai may have gotten a lot of people upset with him, but he has never hurt anyone who didn't try to hurt him."

'_I hope it stays that way too,_' Kasumi added worriedly to herself. From some of Ranma's stories, those bad Imagin could be very dangerous.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"So you think this lecher will be in one of his usual haunts?" asked Urataros curiously. He was donned in a blue penguin outfit which made it a little harder to take him seriously.

"Most likely," Nabki sighed. "When he isn't making life hell for my family, he is either stealing food, panties, or peeping on women. He goes like clockwork."

"Despicable fellow," Urataros sighed. "He gives people like me a bad name."

The two were walking down the restaurant section of Nerima. Happosai was well known there, and not in a good way. He was notorious for eating in some places before ditching on the bill. He either did that or put the bill in either Soun, Genma, or Ranma's names. It really depended who was annoying him the most. A lot of the cooks and restaurant owners had the old master on a 'kill on sight' list if they ever managed to pin him down long enough.

"I wouldn't worry," Nabiki smirked. "You are a flirt. Girls like that. You respect our boundaries and personal space."

"I try to tell Ranma that, but he seems reluctant to listen," Urataros sighed dramatically. "Sometimes I think that boy will never learn."

"Oh, he will," Nabiki snickered, "If he wants to survive the fiancées anyway."

"True," Urataros agreed. "Anyway, is there any way we can narrow down the scope of these establishments we will have to visit?"

"Way ahead of you," Nabiki grinned as she took out a list with a number of restaurant names on it. It was a rather small list. "This is a list of places that Happosai hasn't cheated out of a free meal. If he's around here, then he is definitely going to be in one of those places since the owners won't recognize him on sight."

"Lead the way, Nabiki-chan," Urataros gestured to the open street.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe one man is this perverted," Hana growled as she read the directions she had been given.

"This old man is not only a scourge to women," Kintaros growled in his elephant mascot costume. "But he is also a stain on the name of martial arts! He uses it as a means to do whatever he wishes! That is not what martial arts are about!"

Hana shook her head. Just hearing about Ranma's life made her head spin at times. Being a part of it for a change was definitely an experience. She was silently fearing meeting up with the ancient lecher since he seemed so determined to fondle every young woman he ever meets. It definitely creeped her out.

"So the old lecher likes to steal unmentionables around here?" Kintaros asked curiously.

Hana nodded in confirmation. Nabiki had told them that the highest concentration of thefts happened in the area they were in. It was usually since there was no nearby laundry mat where people could do their laundry easily so they just hung up their clothes. It was like hanging a leg of lamb out to piranha where Happosai was involved. It just boggled Hana's mind as to why the old pervert wanted that many panties to begin with.

"Come on," she sighed as she dragged Kintaros behind her. "The latest cases were over this way. Honestly though, where were the police in this district? Don't they do anything?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Happosai awaited for his bounty. The Monkey Imagin had promised him loads and loads of glorious women's undergarments. He licked his lips. He couldn't wait to get his paws on them.

The Monkey Imagin leapt in front of him, ripped open the bag, and all the panties and bras it had stolen had fallen into Happosai's lap. Giggling with glee, the ancient pervert leapt into the pile and started rubbing the undergarment's against his face, sniffing them too.

The Moneky Imagin turned to leave. The Contract was nearly complete. All he had to do was go on another run, steal some more underwear, and that was it. He didn't want to be around Happosai anymore.

Den-O was another problem. That gun wielding one had nearly done him in. Well, this time, he'd be ready for him. The Monkey Imagin took another flying leap into the city, leaving a laughing Happosai.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ranma's cell phone began to ring and he dug it out of his pocket, "Hello?"

"Ranma, this is Nabiki," Nabiki said. Momotaros leaned in to listen.

"You got anything?" Ranma asked.

"Well…I heard a lot of people saying a big monkey has been stealing underwear around the area you're in. Happosai can't be too far away."

"Thanks, Nabiki." Ranma shut off the link. It was good to have Nabiki on his side for once instead of using him to make some money. However, with all the stuff about Den-O she knew, she would be able to cook up another scheme to earn a few extra yen, and with Urataros helping her out, her schemes could rake in a lot of dough.

Shaking his head, he set off to look for Happosai, with Momotaros following closely behind.

It turned out that it was a bathhouse that Happosai was terrorizing this time. Well, to be more accurate, the old man was hanging around outside like a kid waiting for his parents to bring out some candy from the store. Screams and cries of terror echoed from within. No doubt the Monkey Imagin was fulfilling Happosai's wish for an obscene amount of panties and bras.

"Hey, you old freak!" Ranma cried as he raced forward.

"Oh, Ranma," Happosai smiled. "You're just in time! My ultimate dream is about to come true! A horde of silky darlings just for me!"

"Do have any idea how dangerous that thing is?!" Ranma cried. "These things are on the same level as Herb!"

"Rubbish," Happosai snorted. "He's just granting my wish and I'm going to make sure he does it!"

"Not if I can help it!" Ranma growled as he turned to the bath house.

"Yeah, you old perv!" Momotaros growled as he went to follow Ranma.

Before Ranma could get into the bath house, or Happosai could try and stop him for the sake of his 'silky darlings', the doors to the establishment in question burst wide open. The Monkey Imagin leaped out and over Ranma and Momotaros' head before landing right in front of Happosai. He dropped a huge bag filled with panties and bras right in front of the ancient pervert.

"SWEETO!" Happosai cried as he tossed the underwear into the air like confetti.

"The contract is complete," the Monkey Imagin spoke as he saw that Happosai was very satisfied. "I will now take what I desire in return."

"No!" Ranma cried as he dashed to try and stop the Imagin from getting to the past.

The Monkey Imagin held its hands out to Happosai before the ancient pervert's body split in half with a green portal in the middle. The Monkey Imagin then leaped through the portal and vanished before Happosai came back together. He wobbled for a moment before dropping onto his wrinkly butt.

"That was new," he shuddered.

"Ranma!" a female voice cried out.

Ranma and Momotaros turned to see Hana, Kintaros, Kasumi, Ryutaros, Nabiki, and Urataros came running. They all collected near Happosai, who was too shaken up to even try groping Hana. The young woman from the lost time had already drawn a blank ticket so they could find out when the Imagin had gone.

Hana scanned the ticket over Happosai's head and when she looked at the date, she looked perplexed, "That can't be right."

"Let me see," Ranma took the ticket and looked at the date. July 16th, 1712. "Nope, the old gnome's been around for so damn long, the ticket can go back THAT long as well."

"But 300 years?" Hana asked.

"When you live in Nerima, a 300 year old pervert is not as weird as it looks," Ranma shrugged. He kneeled down and asked Happosai, "Alright, you old pervert, tell me what happened at this time."

Happosai looked at the date and then said, "It was when I was a very young man and training…"

---------------------------------------------**Flashback**-------------------------------------------------

"_WHAT A HAUL! WHAT A HAUL!" Happosai cried happily as he raced for his life from the Amazons._

_He had found their village and thought he struck pay dirt. The vast majority of the people in that village were female and attractive ones at that, especially this hot little number called Khu Lon. He had been trying for a week to learn their special techniques (and maybe get a date) but it didn't pan out. So, to make his effort worth it, he snuck into the village and nabbed as many of their treasures as he could get his grubby little hands on. He really didn't have any idea about half the things he'd grabbed, but they looked valuable so that was good enough for him._

_Now he just had to get away._

--------------------------------------------**End Flashback**--------------------------------------------

"Great…" Ranma muttered. He then said to Hana, "Let's go."

"Right!" she nodded.

"We're coming too!" Nabiki said, followed by Kasumi.

"Nabiki, this is dangerous," Ranma warned.

"Please, we've faced danger before," Nabiki said nonchalantly.

"But nothing like this," Ranma replied but then Nabiki waved a picture of Den-O in Ranma's face.

"Take us along or I won't be obliged to keep your secret," she threatened.

"You're bluffing," Ranma said.

"Try me," Nabiki narrowed her eyes.

"Ugh, fine!" Ranma led the way, "Come on!"

"You're good," Urataros said as he ran alongside Nabiki.

"Thanks."

"Nee-chan, let's go!" Ryutaros took Kasumi's hand and dragged her along. Kintaros, Momotaros and Hana followed as well, into a door and straight into DenLiner.

In the dining car, Ranma initiated his transformation, strapping on the Terminal Belt. "Henshin," he said before he swiped the pass over the belt and his basic black and white Den-O armor covered him. The Taros removed their costumes as Ranma headed towards the cockpit to take them to the past. Nabiki took his arm.

"Ranma, I'm going to be out there taking pictures of you if that's alright," Nabiki stated. It wasn't a request.

"Just stay out of danger," Den-O told her before he left the dining car.

"Nee-chan, this will be so cool!" Ryutaros said excitedly, "You'll see."

"Traveling to the past," Kasumi smiled, "What an adventure."

"Yeah," Nabiki saw the Owner in one of the booths eating a plate of fried rice and she smiled. She then walked over and sat down in front of him.

"Yes, Nabiki-san?" Owner asked her.

"We need to talk, about Den-O. I think I can make money out of this but I need your permission."

"Let us discuss, then."

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In the DenLiner's cockpit, Den-O mounted the DenBird and slipped in the pass with the ticket inside. The date was displayed on a screen in front of him. He then revved up the engine and took off. The DenLiner then vanished into a portal straight into the past.

----------------------------------------------**July 16th, 1712**------------------------------------------

"WHAT A HAUL! WHAT A HAUL!" Young Happosai hollered as he escaped from the enraged Amazons that were chasing after him.

"GET HIM! HE STOLE OUR TREASURES!" one Amazon shouted.

Happosai made a speedy getaway but did not notice the sand that was pouring off him. The Amazons, however, did, as they stopped chasing and watched as the pile of sand rise up and reform into a monkey-like monster. It looked at them and said, "TIME TO KILL, FINALLY!" he took in a deep breath of air and spewed flames at the female Amazon warriors. They had to avoid from getting hit or else they'd be burnt. The Monkey Imagin laughed and set his sight towards the Amazon village. The warrior women knew that they would be in for a fight.

Suddenly, a strange tune played in the air and the Monkey Imagin growled as it watched the DenLiner race out of the portal and then stop in front of it. Den-O leapt out of a door to face it. The Amazon's tensed as they watched the strange warrior and decided that discretion was a better part of valor. Besides, they had a pervert to hunt down. As they continued to hunt Happosai, they didn't notice a man in a brown trench coat and hat standing in the tall grass with a silver watch held in his hand.

"Den-O!" the Monkey Imagin growled. He wanted to pay Den-O back for what happened earlier.

"Momotaros, let's go," Den-O ordered before pressing the red button, changing the symbol red with the tune of the DenLiner playing before swiping the pass over the buckle.

"**Sword Form!**"

The red and silver armor covered over his chest and shoulders before the black and yellow ones snapped onto his back. The red peach then slid over his helmet and split in half, completing the change.

"Ore Sanjou!" Den-O SF proclaimed as he went into a battle pose.

The Monkey Imagin howled and then dashed towards Den-O SF, swinging its staff. Den-O SF charged back, quickly putting the pieces of his DenGasher together into Sword Mode. The red blade extended and soon they were fighting.

The Monkey Imagin got slashed in the chest twice before Den-O SF grabbed him by the neck and smashed his own head into its own. He then sent it staggering back with a punch. The Monkey Imagin held its head as Den-O SF stood in front of it tauntingly.

"Now, how's that you damn dirty monkey?" Den-O SF mocked.

The Monkey Imagin laughed before it shimmered and then changed into Den-O SF himself. Den-O SF gawked at the copy.

"Hey, what the hell!?" Den-O SF shouted out before the doppelganger Den-O took advantage of Den-O SF's shock to attack with his own sword. Den-O SF was stuck fighting with himself as he countered all the slashes, but the Monkey Imagin didn't just copy his form, but also his moves so all of them were countered and Den-O SF was sent reeling.

"Damn that monkey! How dare he copy me!?" Den-O SF yelled angrily. The Monkey Imagin turned back to normal and laughed as he went to attack Den-O again.

"**Rod Form!**"

The Monkey Imagin was taken by surprise as Den-O SF's armor detached itself from his body before reorganizing itself and changing before reattaching to his body. A new mask then swept over his face before Den-O RF stood up and then countered with his own rod.

"May I string you along?" Den-O RF said before he approached his opponent. Growling, the Monkey Imagin swung his staff at Den-O RF, but the extra armor was protecting him. Den-O RF threw his rod and then wrapped a line around the Monkey Imagin, binding it. "I got a catch!" Den-O RF laughed before he pulled and swung the Imagin over his head and into a tree. "Well, I'm tired now. I want to keep Nabiki-chan and Kasumi-chan company. Kintaros, it's your turn." He then pressed the yellow button and swiped the pass over it.

"**Axe Form!**"

The armor rearranged itself once more and standing in Den-O RF's place was the golden armored Den-O AF.

"My strength will make you cry!" he announced as paper napkins fluttered down around him. "Wipe your tears with these." He then changed the rod into an axe. With his proper weapon in hand, he dashed towards his opponent.

The Monkey Imagin did a leap over Den-O AF's head before hitting him in the back with his staff. The Monkey Imagin turned to see Den-O AF staggering from the hit and then grinned. Pulling several hairs from its head, it then blew them in the air. The hairs then transformed into clones of the Monkey Imagin. The clones cackled and howled before they went to attack Den-O AF.

"What is this?" Den-O AF questioned before he got hit in the back. He swung his axe but was his again in the side. He was fighting 5 of the Monkey Imagin's clones and was not fairing well. The Monkey Imagin smirked and then took in a deep breath of air before spewing flames at Den-O AF. Not only was he engulfed, but the nearby forest too. Innocent animals ran in panic from the flames.

Aboard the DenLiner, Ryutaros could see this so he stood straight up. Seeing the forest burning and the animals in peril was not something he would take sitting down.

"Ryutaros?" Kasumi asked.

"I'm going to help Ranma!" Ryutaros said, "Without him, I can't become conductor."

"Hey, wait you brat!" Momotaros went to grab him but then Ryutaros vanished.

Kasumi then said under her breath, "Good luck, Ryutaros."

Den-O AF was not faring well. The random fire attacks and the attacks from all sides was taking their toll on his body. Kintaros' control also slipped at the last moment before Ryutaros then took over Den-O's body as the armor fell away.

"Ryutaros?" Den-O questioned.

'_I'm here to help you, Ranma! If I don't defeat you, I can't become conductor!_' Ryutaros reasoned.

"Okay, Ryuta, do your thing!" Den-O encouraged. He wasn't phased by Ryutaros' declaration that he was going to defeat Ranma. He had heard things like that all the time. He pressed the purple button on the belt and swiped the pass over.

"**Gun Form!**"

The armor appeared around Den-O as it took the configuration for gun form. The yellow plates went to his back while the red ones took the front. The front plates then opened up to reveal the purple ones before they all attached to Den-O. Finally, a dragon slid down his face before changing into his visor.

The Monkey Imagin recalled this version of Den-O. It wasn't a pleasant memory, "Oh, no! Not him!"

Standing in front of his was Den-O GF and as the gun wielding Den-O danced over to it, smacking the clones away, he said, "Can I destroy you now? I don't hear an answer!" Gripping his gun he then spun around and shot at all the clones, destroying them. The clones each exploded into small balls of fire, leaving only the original. He then turned his sights on the Monkey Imagin. "Time to get you, Hentai Imagin."

"Don't…call…me…" the Monkey Imagin growled slowly and angrily, "THAT!" he roared and then shot straight at Den-O GF.

The Monky Imagin swung wildly at Den-O GF, who just dipped and ducked around the attacks. As he continued to dodge though, Den-O GF would shoot the Imagin at an unprotected side. Shot after shot rang out from the DenGasher Gun Mode as Den-O GF shot at his opponent. The Monkey Imagin felt like explosive sledgehammers were hitting it each time Den-O GF managed to get him with a shot. Another shot got it in the waist, causing the monkey Imagin to stumble backwards.

"Hah!" Den-O GF cried as he leaped forward.

The Monkey Imagin gripped its staff and swung to try and hit Den-O GF, but the purple Rider in question rolled while in the air and sat up right in front of the Imagin. He pointed his gun and didn't hesitate to fire several shots into the unprotected gut of the Monkey Imagin.

"Graaah!" it cried as it stumbled back, finally tripping and landing on the ground.

"Got ya!" Den-O GF cried as he stood up and pulled out the Hyper Pass. he then dipped it in front of his belt. "**Full Charge!**"

Purple streams of energy flew from the belt and into the gun. Den-O GF began to take careful aim at the Imagin while the orbs on his shoulder spikes began to glow bright purple as the energy collected for his attack. The Monkey Imagin was trying to muster some energyto move, but being shot by the DenGasher took a lot out of a lot of targets. Den-O GF just held his weapon and pulled the trigger. Instantly, the twin spheres of energy came out of his spikes and met with the barrel of the gun just as it fired. A somewhat larger sphere of energy launched from the gun and barreled down on the Monkey Imagin. It collided directly with its chest and he exploded in a giant fireball which lit the air quite brightly.

"Ha!" Den-O GF laughed as he struck a pose. "Got you!"

'_Good, let's go home then_,' Ranma said and then he saw a flash. Nabiki was there with a camera and had obviously taken a few pictures.

"Nice job, Ryutaros, Ranma," Nabiki smirked but then her eyes widened at the spot where the Monkey Imagin had perished. Acting quickly, Den-O GF turned to look at the spot.

'_Not again!_' Ranma cried in dismay as, like the previous enemy Imagin, the Monkey Imagin was beginning to reform into its giant Gigandeath form. This time it took the form of a giant white and ferocious looking dragon. It roared and sent bolts of lightning at Den-O GF.

"Nee-san!" Den-O GF cried as he grabbed Nabiki and he leapt out of the way of the lightning bolt. Landing on his feet, he told her, "Get back in the DenLiner!"

"Okay," Nabiki nodded as she dashed towards the time train. At the same time, Den-O GF had summoned the DenBird and was riding on it.

"Hey, Ranma," Den-O GF asked. "I got a train too, right?"

'_Well…_" Ranma was not so sure, '_I don't know about that._' Suddenly, a bolt of lightning crashed down and a new portal formed. The same techno music, which emanated from Den-O's belt before the Gun Form transformation, played and a new train came racing out. It was mainly white, but with a purple and yellow head, plus it was made out of two cars.

"Let's go!" Den-O GF shouted as he raced alongside the new DenLiner train, this one known as Ikazuchi. The three other DenLiner trains, Gouka, Isurugi and Rekkou also came racing alongside the new train.

Den-O GF launched the DenBird straight into the air before it landed atop the head of Ikazuchi. While this was happening, its rear car detached itself and slowed down. The tracks began to converge and join together before linking up. Isurugi linked up at the back of Ikazuchi's head car, followed by Rekkou, Gouka and then finally by the rear car of Ikazuchi. The dragon was coming straight for them but Den-O GF showed no fear.

"Time to show Nee-chan what I can do!" Den-O GF announced before pressing a button on his bike. Soon, all of the DenLiner's weapons activated. A dragon's head and neck came out of Ikazuchi's head car and a dragon tail came out of the rear car. Looking at the DenLiner now, it looked just like some sort of strange mechanical dragon.

Inside their respective trains, the other members of the Taros-tachi were at their controls.

"Let us make this monster cry!" Kintaros said, snapping his neck while riding on his DenBird.

"Finish this quick," Utrataros commented, mounted on Isurugi's DenBird. "I have a lot of dates tonight."

"Oi, Turtle!" Momotaros snapped, "Get serious here!"

Inside the DenLiner, everything was shaking. Hana told the others,"Brace yourselves!"

"Aren't there any seatbelts?" Nabiki questioned.

"Oh, my!" Kasumi let out.

The new dragon-like DenLiner then flew up. Actually, the tracks were floating in the air and the train itself was traveling on them. Regardless, the train was soon in a battle with the draconic Gigandeath.

The dragon launched electrical attacks and fireballs at the train but Den-O GF was able maneuver it safely. Ranma could only hope that Nabiki wasn't the type to get motion sickness.

Keeping the Gigandeath in range, the first wave of the assault began as Momotaros launched all of Gouka's ammo at the Gigandeath, showering it with deadly lasers and missiles. The second wave was Urataros' turn as he fired the blade lasers of Radome at the Gigandeath and sliced its horns. It roared in rage and charged, but Kintaros was quick enough to have Rekkou launch crescent-shaped energy shots from the axe-blades flanking his car.

"Yeah, time to finish this!" Den-O GF shouted excitedly as he took aim with his DenGasher gun. Not only was his gun charging up, but a cannon within Ikazuchi's dragon mouth was pooling in energy as well. Den-O GF, deciding that it was enough, pulled the trigger.

A powerful beam of energy streamed from the cannon. Rekkou, Ikazuchi and Gouka also opened fire as well. The Gigandeath was overwhelmed by the amount of fire power it was receiving before it let out an anguished roar and exploded, destroyed.

"YEAH!" Den-O GF cheered. "Now, to go back home!"

The DenLiner then went down to the ground where a portal was forming and raced into it, restoring everything at once. They hadn't left without a trace though. The Amazons had witnessed the battle. They were already telling the other people from their village what they had witnessed. No doubt they were going to talk of this for some time to come.

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The two Tendo sisters and Ranma were glad to be back home. Kasumi had found the adventure very thrilling, but it wasn't something she would want to do all the time like Ranma and his friends did. At the moment, she was sitting down on the back porch with Ranma's head resting in her lap. Well, it was actually Ranma Purple's head resting on her lap. He wasn't about to say goodbye to his big sister just yet. Kasumi found it rather flattering that someone wanted to spend time with her like this. When they had gotten home, Nabiki had gone straight to her room to deal with the photos she had taken of the battle. Kami knows what she was going to do with them. The fathers weren't home and Akane was most likely still at school.

"Nee-chan," Ranma Purple spoke up from his seat.

"Yes, Ryutaros?" Kasumi asked pleasantly.

"If I defeated Ranma, would you cry?" Ranma Purple asked bluntly.

"Oh, my," Kasumi blinked. "Yes, I would cry if you defeated Ranma."

"Oh," Ranma Purple blinked. He then nodded with a smile. "Okay then. I just won't defeat Ranma then. I still wanna be a conductor on DenLiner though."

"That's nice," Kasumi smiled. "I'm sure you can do it if you really try. Ranma's like a little brother to me and I wouldn't want to lose him."

"Eehh?" Ranma Purple gasped as he sat up. "Ranma's your little brother? I thought I was your little brother!"

"Oh, Ryutaros," Kasumi giggled. "You're both my little brothers. Ranma just came first."

"So that means he's my Nii-chan!" Ryutaros gasped in shock. "Oh wow! I can't defeat my Nii-chan! He's my Nii-chan! I wouldn't be a very good little brother if I hurt my Nii-chan or my Nee-chan! Now I really can't defeat Ranma!"

"I knew you couldn't," Kasumi smiled brightly. "I just knew you were a good boy!"

"Nee-chan..." Ranma Purple blushed brightly at the compliment. One could still see bright smile on his face though. Ryutaros suddenly vacated Ranma's body, making the hat vanish and taking the purple streak and eyes with it. Ranma heaved a sigh as he leaned back. Having four Imagin inside of him was proving to be tiring.

"Hello again, Ranma," Kasumi smiled before standing up. "It's nice to see you back. If you'll excuse me though, Ryutaros-kun took a lot of my time and I have some dinner to fix. Anything you'd like?"

"Anything you make is fine, Kasumi," Ranma yawned. "It's always good."

Kasumi smiled at the compliment and headed out of the room. What no one seemed to notice was that she was trailing a little something behind her. It was too small to notice at first, but Kasumi was dropping tiny bits of sand behind her as she walked to the kitchen.

'_So this is the one whom I shall grant a wish for,_' the imperious voice which was part of the sand spoke softly. '_Such beauty is more than worthy of one such as I._'

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Shampoo sighed sadly as she leafed through some books which she kept in her room. The exorcism which she'd hoped would show Ranma she cared didn't work out so well. It actually drew in a fourth spirit which proceeded to destroy their restaurant in a fight. Then again, she heard it fought Akane and won so it might not be all bad.

Shampoo's eyes landed on an Amazon legend which was fairly new in comparison to some of the other lore her people held. It was a story about a four-faced warrior who defeated a beast which threatened their tribe. The warrior could take on four different styles of fighting, which he showed off during the battle. Swordsman, Fisherman, Huntsman, and Wildman. The Amazons treated this warrior with such respect because he was a Blooded Warrior. Well, that and he was a master of four different fighting styles. It was hard to find someone who had mastered two, much less three. Many of the young girls back home dreamed of finding this powerful warrior and making him her husband.

Shampoo sighed dreamily as she thought about her husband to be. He was a master of many styles, much like the four-faced warrior. How wonderful it would be if Ranma turned out to be that warrior. Of course, reality set in and reminded Shampoo that he was probably dead. Only a few powerful martial artists could live for 300 years. If the warrior still existed, he must have passed on his power to a pupil by now.

Still...

To Be Contined...

A/N Here's chapter eight and the 4 taros have united. Now all th extra fun stuff is going to come. Hope you guys will keep reading.


	9. The White Swan Prince

I do not own Kamen Rider Den-O or Ranma 1/2. They belong to their respective creators and not me. I am only writing this fic for fun and I hope that you all enjoy it.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 9: The White Swan Prince

If there ever was a saint living in Nerima, everyone would agree that it was Kasumi Tendo. The eldest daughter of Soun was a homemaker goddess and even though she didn't know it, there were several young men in the area who dreamed of dating her. One local chiropractor was one of these men. Unfortunately, for most of these men, Kasumi preferred older men and the majority of the available men were a little younger than her. At the very least, she was gentle about her rejections. Eventually, the men secretly pined for her while accepting the fact that she wasn't going to choose any of them for the time being.

When Kasumi had been told of the engagement, she pondered whether or not if she should take it on for her family. Her only real concern at that time was whether or not Ranma was older than her. Upon meeting him, she handed the engagement down to her youngest sister. It may have been selfish on her part, but that was in the past now. She had kept a close eye on her new little brother and his strange and exciting adventures which seemed to keep happening. Unfortunately, it didn't escape her notice that most of the situations had come from either Ranma's mouth, or because of Genma's dishonesty. Why her father still pressed so hard for the engagement was confusing.

Of course, she was still somewhat excited to be involved in Ranma's newest adventure. She was also pleasantly surprised by the new friends Ranma was making. They were all very nice in their own ways. They were also very kind and friendly.

Momotaros was probably the one who acted most like Ranma. They both liked their little fights and were rather outspoken. They both even had a habit of speaking their minds. They even had a habit of speaking or acting before they thought things through. Momotaros had a small temper problem though. Granted, Akane's was just the same but Momotaros didn't feel the need to pound the one who did set him off unless it was an evil Imagin who was trying to hurt people. Kasumi didn't condone violence as a means of solving problems, but these evil Imagin were too dangerous to just let run around.

Urataros was another odd character. He was very flirtatious and he didn't hesitate to flirt with her. It was a little exciting to have someone try to flirt with her like the blue Imagin did. He complimented her like a real woman rather than a housewife or a homemaker. It felt rather nice. Urataros was also very considerate and polite. He would clean up after himself whenever he was possessing Ranma. He was almost a polar opposite to Momotaros. He was calm at all times and was very thoughtful about his actions. The only downside to him was that he had a penchant for lying.

Kintaros was a very nice Imagin. He held a strict honor code which was a little different from Ranma's. It more or less regarded all opponents as equal and must be shown respect if they can prove that they are worthy of it. Kintaros was very strong even among the Imagin. His little problem with tearing doors off their hinges was proof enough of that. He would often try to fix it before anyone would notice, but in a house as populated as the Tendo Dojo, someone was always there to find out. Akane had tried to mallet him in 'punishment', but ended up breaking the wooden instrument over Ranma Yellow's incredibly hard head.

Ryutaros was the newest addition to the little family. He had also become Kasumi's newest little brother. He was a very excitable little Imagin who just adored Kasumi like someone would their big sister. He even called her his 'nee-chan'. Ryutaros didn't make a good first impression when he forcibly possessed Ranma and hurt Akane in a fight. It sure didn't make him popular on DenLiner. However, he redeemed himself by fighting off the last Imagin and beating it. He was slowly being accepted on the Train of Time.

"Whew," Kasumi sighed as she finished putting the dirty laundry into the wash. "So busy today."

WHAM!!!

CRASH!!!

"You'll pay for that, boy!" Genma's voice bellowed from the backyard.

"Make me, old man!" the voice of not Ranma, but Ranma Red roared in reply.

Kasumi just shook her head and continued on her way to begin the washing machine. Genma must have gotten Momotaros upset again. The oni-like Imagin did not like the part-time panda very much. It was probably because of a number of messes he had gotten Ranma into. Whenever Genma began getting Momotaros upset, the red Imagin would possess Ranma and begin fighting with the older man. It was usually in their sparring practices, but they would sometimes fight when Genma would try to steal Ranma's food.

The sound of violence and yelps of pain echoed from the backyard before it finally went silent with a loud splash. From the sound of it, either Ranma Red or Genma had been thrown into the koi pond again.

"That was fun, Old Man," Kasumi could hear Ranma Red snicker in a masculine voice. "Let me know when you want to go again,"

"Gworf!" Genma-Panda growled.

So it was Genma who was thrown in. As she set the final time for the washing machine, Kasumi walked out to the living room to collect the dishes from breakfast when she saw that her guess on the battle was right. Genma was slogging himself out of the pond while Ranma sat himself down in front of the table, relaxing after beating the crud out of Genma.

"Now that was satisfying," Ranma said as he retook control.

'_You know what we should do?_' Momotaros asked, '_Tie him up in fish sausages and throw him into a pit full of those things and see how it feels_.'

Ranma chuckled. Momotaros and the other Imagin had learnt of all the bad things that Genma had done to him as 'training' and decided to give him punishments befitting each crime. Genma may not learn his lesson soon, but then again it was fun.

"Ranma," Kasumi began as she walked over, holding a broom.

"Yeah, Kasumi?" Ranma answered.

'_Ranma, be more polite when you address a lady_,' Urataros advised. '_Observe_.'

A blue streak appeared in Ranma's hair as his eyes flashed a different color of blue and glasses appeared on his face. Standing up, Ranma Blue took Kasumi's hand and kissed it.

"What do you want me to do, Kasumi-chan?" Ranma Blue grinned.

Kasumi could tell who it was this time and then handed him the broom. "Urataros, would you mind sweeping up the floor outside? Momotaros and Ranma made quite the mess."

"And what of the panda?" Ranma Blue asked, a glint in his eyes.

"Help Mr. Saotome clean up."

"Certainly," Ranma Blue grinned, an idea forming in his head.

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Meanwhile, Nabiki was in her room, all the pictures of Den-O in all his forms spread out on top of her bed. She was looking over them and taking notes.

After a talk with Owner, he had given her permission to use Den-O in her schemes, provided she revealed nothing about the DenLiner being a time traveling train. She noted the seriousness in the man's voice and plus he could intimidate Ranma. Anyone who could do that was not someone she wanted to piss off. After discussing terms and conditions, they made a mutual agreement and became business partners, so to speak.

Now, Nabiki was pondering on how to provide good PR for Den-O.

"Den-O?" Nabiki asked herself. "Sounds too…simple. There should be something added, but what?" She then heard a commotion from outside and turned towards her window to see an amusing sight. Genma, in his panda form, was in a cage and being carted off by what appeared to be animal control. She attempted to listen in on the conversation.

"Well, Saotome-san," one of the men said, "We'll get this panda to the zoo quickly, after we treat him for rabies, of course."

"But of course," Ranma Blue smiled. Genma was foaming in the mouth and rattling the bars of the cage but the men paid no mind. The foam was really the foam Naomi would use on her coffee. "Please, make sure the poor animal is looked after." He smirked at Genma the panda. "And keep it away from hot or warm water."

"Gotcha, Saotome-san," the man nodded after the truck's doors were closed and then he entered the truck and drove off. Ranma Blue smirked and walked into the house.

Nabiki just had to see what brought on this little scheme and went downstairs to talk to Ranma Blue. She found him sweeping up the front porch after what seemed to be a fight. No doubt Ranma and Genma had been sparring again.

"What may I ask possessed you to send Genma to the zoo?" Nabiki asked with a smirk.

Nabiki had long since entertained the idea of having Genma sold to the zoo in his panda form. The problem was getting him to stay there in said form and avoiding fallout from her father and his cries about honor.

"Well, Kasumi-chan did say she wanted him cleaned up," Ranma Blue smirked "I merely thought that this would be the solution that lasted the longest. He'll be back sometime tonight though."

"And out for Ranma's hide too," Nabiki pointed out. "I would have thought you guys have dealt out your revenge by now."

"Only when he's thinking of something foolish," Ranma Blue shrugged. "He has been inconveniencing Kasumi-chan with his actions and I thought it was time for him to face the consequences."

"Fair enough," Nabiki shrugged. "Just try to keep damage to a minimum when he comes back looking to punish you."

"I'll keep an eye out," Ranma Blue smirked. "How goes the PR work now that I think about it?"

"Well, Den-O isn't much of a catchy name by itself," Nabiki sighed. "I'm trying to think of something that will stick in people's minds."

"The Imagin we fight know it pretty well," Ranma Blue pointed out.

"It's a necessity for them," Nabiki retorted. "Unless people see you guys fighting an Imagin, they really won't remember the name of the one who fights to protect them."

"Hmm," Ranma Blue pondered. "Very true. I can't have many fans if they don't know who that dashing gentleman in the blue armor is, can I?"

"No, you can't," Nabiki smirked. "But that is where I come in. Just leave everything to me."

"I am in your capable hands," Ranma Blue smirked.

"Flatterer," Nabiki smiled as she turned back to the house.

"Of course," Ranma Blue agreed.

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Akane was having an average day on her part. Ranma managed to keep his big mouth shut so she didn't have to mallet or punch him. She was alright with not malleting him since she broke her last one on his head. She did finally get her hands on a new one. She was going to be careful with this one though. She didn't want to hit it on the wrong spot and break it.

Of course, Akane knew that Ranma was probably in some kind of trouble by now or those other girls after him were at her house again trying to seduce him. In her mind, if Ranma would just stop flirting with them and actually tell them to take a hike then they might be able to work through what kind of relationship they have. Of course, it wouldn't get the fathers to stop harping on them, but it would make things at least a little more peaceful.

She had heard that Ranma had blown his stack on the other fiancées before her father knocked her out and dragged her to the altar. Her look darkened when she recalled the last fight they got into. Ranma had actually hit her! Ranma never hit a girl before. Just what was going on with him? Her friends Yuka and Sayuri were thinking that maybe Ranma was finally getting fed up with how everyone was treating him. Akane heatedly argued that he deserved it before her two friends pointed out that a good portion of that mess came from Ranma's father, who just shifted the blame to his son. Even Akane had to admit that Genma did contribute to the daily chaos because of how he dodged responsibility or tried to force Ranma to marry her.

When she passed the dojo, she could hear grunts and yells as well as something that sounded like hands hitting against something else. Peeking inside, she saw that it was Ranma again.

Well, not exactly.

Ranma right now had a yellow streak of hair and his hair was in a ponytail in contrast to his usual pigtail. How she couldn't see it was a mystery, but what was more shocking was what he was wearing. Ranma was in a yellow karate gi with black stripes all over it and a black belt around his waist. He was in the horse stance and during a simple drill where he threw his open palms against a training doll repeatedly. Nothing else there, but he was grunting once in a while.

"Hah! Hyah!" 'Ranma' let out as he continued with his training. Actually, this was Ranma Yellow, but Akane didn't know that.

Akane began thinking. Maybe today she could pay Ranma back for beating her the other day. It was worth a shot. She walked over to the yellow clad martial artist and said, "Ranma."

"Hm?" Ranma Yellow didn't stop his training but regarded Akane nonetheless, "Yes, Akane?"

"Do you wanna spar?" she invited. Ranma Yellow quirked an eyebrow.

'_She's up to something!_' Ranma warned. '_Don't agree to it_.'

Ranma Yellow shook his head, "I have no wishes to spar with someone who is not at my level. I only wish to fight those who are worthy opponents."

Okay, not exactly a smart thing to say.

Akane fumed and then she snapped. She yelled, "YOU THINK I'M WEAK!?" She summoned her mallet from its hammer space and pulled it back for a swing, "RANMA NO BAKA!" She swung the weapon straight towards Ranma. Speed lines in the background emphasized as to how fast it was moving.

ZOOM!

SMASH!

SHATTER!

Akane's eyes widened in shock again as her mallet was once again shattered on impact with Ranma Yellow's head. Ranma Yellow merely cracked his neck to get the stiffness out. What the hell was going on!? Ranma would usually fly out into the air or end up on the ground with a large lump on his head, but now Akane had to get another new mallet, and she had just bought that!

"That is highly unnecessary," Ranma Yellow commented before he continued on with his training. Fuming, Akane ignored what had happened to her mallet before throwing a fist against his face.

CRACK!

"ARG!" Akane yelled, flicking her wrist. That hurt! She tried another punch.

POW!

"YACK!" her other hand her too.

"I'd stop if I were you," Ranma Yellow advised, but she wasn't going to listen. She attacked him with punches and kicks and this time he decided to block them. At the end, Akane's whole body hurt and all Ranma Yellow did was block her attacks or let them hit. This was not supposed to happen!

Akane growled and limped her way out of the dojo. Ranma Yellow cracked his neck yet again, "She has far too much pride. It's not healthy."

'_Yeah, but I hope this teaches her to control her temper_,' Ranma added.

Ranma Yellow yawned, "I'm tired now, I need to go to sleep." A yellow haze of energy then left Ranma's body and he retook control of his body. The yellow streak of hair vanished and his ponytail reverted instantly into a pigtail. Kintaros had the right idea. A nap would be good.

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Ukyo was depressed. Not only because of Ranma, but because of another restaurant that had opened up across from hers. All her customers had decided to go there instead to try it out. Her business began to suffer as a result. There wasn't even a single customer in her restaurant.

A yellow orb of energy hovered close to her, sensing her depression. It then flew straight into her body. She was shocked but then became alarmed when sand fell off her body and began to reform into a strange creature. The upper half of its body was on the floor while its lower body and legs hovered above. It looked like it had a pumpkin for a head and wearing strange armor.

"_Tell me your wish, my dear_," the creature said in a smooth voice, "_And I shall grant it_."

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Kasumi finished bandaging Akane's hands and feet since the joints were a little sore and the eldest Tendo didn't want her little sister to sprain them so a little extra support would go a long way. Akane was still fuming about what a jerk Ranma was being. Kasumi only half listened. If Ranma had called Akane weak then it was most likely because one of his 'tenants' had taken control and voiced their opinion of her.

"All done," Kasumi nodded as she packed up the first-aid kit. She idly noted that she was running low on supplies again. She added the item to her mental shopping list.

"Good," Akane frowned as she slowly stood up. "Once I get my hands on that jerk…"

"Akane, at least wait until you recover," Kasumi spoke up. "I'm sure that once you do then things will return to normal."

"Things haven't been normal for a while Kasumi," Akane frowned. "Ranma's been acting really weird. First he's blowing up on the fiancées and then he's seducing them. One second he's taking my hits like they don't even matter and then he's hitting me!"

"Well, you did attack him just because he wouldn't eat your cooking," Kasumi reminded her younger sister. "Ranma has a right to decide what he wishes to eat."

Akane frowned again, understanding what her sister was saying, but it didn't mean that she had to like it.

"Besides, you of all people should know what he had to go through in China," Kasumi continued. "Maybe the effects of fighting at such a level is finally becoming obvious, or maybe he's growing up."

"That baka?" Akane snorted. "He's too dumb to grow up."

Kasumi sighed inwardly at her sister's spiteful words. When Akane lost her temper, she was liable to say anything which would either hurt others, or make her feel better about herself. The latter was usually done when she was proven wrong about something or someone proved better than her. Ranma Yellow breaking her new mallet and hurting her limbs just by taking punches would be one of those things.

"Just rest for now," Kasumi insisted in her usual pleasant way. "I was going to get dinner ready soon anyway."

"Okay," Akane huffed before beginning her hobbling journey to the dining room table.

Kasumi put her medical supplies away in the cupboard. After closing it, she took a moment to heave another sigh. A small bit of breathing exercises she recalled from books on meditation and she was off to the chores again. At least she could get sweeping the porch off her list. Urataros always did a good job. She just couldn't figure out where Mr. Saotome had gone. She assumed it had something to do with the truck that pulled onto the property a while ago, but Ranma Blue only told her that he was doing his part to make her job a little easier for the day. That was all she got before Kintaros took over and went to train.

Hip-hop music began to glide through the house as Kasumi recognized the tune. A small smile came to her face as she heard it. That would be none other than her newest little brother, Ryutaros. Looking out to the main yard, she saw Ranma Purple dancing away with Nabiki's tape player next to him. Her middle sister was recording the dance moves that Ranma Purple was making from the side. Obviously Nabiki was planning on selling his dance moves. Ranma's fans at school had become more active since the Taros-tachi moved in and made him look more sociable. The girls wanted videos like this all the time while the dance clubs wanted to see how his moves worked.

"Hi, Nee-chan!" Ranma Purple smiled as he went through several flips and twists.

"Hello, Ryutaros," Kasumi smiled. "Are you being a good boy?"

"Uh-huh!" Ranma Purple nodded. Kasumi learned that Ryutaros was still very young and decided needed a good role model as well as a parental figure if he was going to remain a good person. With the way he attached himself to Kasumi, the eldest Tendo decided that she would do it. Ryutaros already tried to be good since he didn't want Kasumi upset with him like she was when he almost blew up the school with the students still in it.

"That's nice," Kasumi smiled.

"RAAAAAAANNNNNNNMMMMMAAAAAAAA!!!" came the enraged voice of Soun Tendo. Aparently, Akane had just informed her father about what had hapened.

Sure enough, the single male Tendo came barging out of the house with his demon head going full blast. In the past, it would be good for getting Ranma to do anything he wanted the boy to do to an extent. Surely this would work in getting his future son-in-law to apologize to his fiancée.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT MY LITTLE GIRL?!?!?!" he bellowed. He was fully expecting Ranma to be on the verge of panic.

What he got was Ranma Purple gaping at him in awe before laughing.

"Neat!" Ranma Purple laughed. "That's so cool! Your head is huge! Ha ha ha ha ha! You're a big balloon-head!"

Nabiki muffled her laughs with her hand while Kasumi frowned, "Ranma, that isn't very nice."

"But Nee-chan," Ranma Purple pointed, "Look at him! He's like a big balloon!" Ranma Purple laughed as he clapped.

Soun was dumbstruck. Usually, the Demon Head technique put the fear of God in Ranma, but the boy right now was laughing in his face. That'd never happen before! If Genma was here, they could've made a united front but his friend was nowhere to be seen.

"Okay, Nee-chan, Nee-san," Ranma Purple said, "I'm going out now to meet some friends. Bye-bye!" Ranma Purple then danced out of the compound, his headphones on his ears, leaving a frozen shock Soun, a giggling Nabiki and Kasumi who just shook her head at his antics.

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Kasumi was in the kitchen preparing dinner as she sighed once again. Since Ranma Purple had left, her father had been weeping about how his future son-in-law treated his family so poorly and asked why his friend wasn't there to help discipline the boy. Kasumi learned to drown it out since her father cried over almost everything. Her own thoughts were more trained on the events which had been occurring since the Imagin started entering this time. Ever since the adventure she'd shared with the crew on the DenLiner, she felt a little, well, bored. She was usually on the sidelines watching the chaos but was never directly involved in one on of Ranma's adventures. Plus, it was fun to meet all of Ranma's Imagin friends, solid and in color instead of IN Ranma or in their sandy forms. Plus, Ryutaros loved to spend time with her when he wasn't out hanging out with his friends. Momotaros was gruff and rough around the edges but Kasumi could tell the red Imagin had a good heart. Urataros would flirt with her and she found the attention quite flattering. Kintaros treated her with respect and would help around the house, even if he did end up breaking the mops and brooms.

Lately, she was feeling that she was never really alone, even when she was. There was this strange presence around her. It didn't feel evil so she didn't pay it too much mind and merely thought that maybe it was the weird vibe around Nerima. Kasumi was actually more observant than she looked, but no one would've guessed it. Maybe it was because she was, well, bored with the monotonous life. Being a part of Ranma's adventures for a change really showed her how exciting life could be. Don't get her wrong. She loved caring for her family, but sometimes she wished that she could be more than just a single house wife. When was the last time she had even been on a date? Kasumi never admitted it to anyone, but she still had romantic fantasies. She wanted to get married and raise a family of her own. She knew she couldn't just leave her fathers and sisters alone, but she…well…she had needs too.

"I wish someone could just sweep me of my feet," Kasumi whispered under her breath. That was all the presence inside her needed as sand began to fall out of her clothes and reform. She gasped as she watched the pile of sand grow before it began to reform into a more humanoid shape. It had an impressive frame. The figure also began to fill out with color. It was mostly white with a golden chest. Its shoulders had feathers on them and it also had a raised collar. Its head was white with wings flanking the side. Its eyes were also a shining sapphire color. The bird-like appearance as well as the white coloring reminded her of swans. They were such beautiful creatures.

"Your wish, my dear, is my command," the new Imagin said as he kneeled and bowed his head, his hand on his chest.

"Oh, my!" Kasumi blushed. This Imagin was such a gentleman, but different from Urataros. The White Swan Imagin then stood up, hands behind his back as he stood straight and proud. He had this strong aura about him. He seemed so….princely. "So, you heard my wish?"

"I did," the Imagin nodded.

"What is your name?" Kasumi asked. The Imagin once again bowed, one hand behind his back and the other on his chest. It only made Kasumi's blush more evident since his actions reminded her of some of the men she had often read about in romantic stories.

"My name, is Sieg, my lady," he introduced before taking her hand, "And I know who you are, Kasumi." He then kissed it. They didn't notice someone coming in.

Ranma Purple danced into the kitchen to see Kasumi, "Nee-chan, I forgot my-" the purple eyed and possessed martial artist froze when he saw the scene and immediately grew angry. He darted straight towards the white Imagin kissing his Kasumi's hand and then sent him sprawling with s single punch. He stood protectively in front of Kasumi, "Stay away from Nee-chan, you nasty Imagin!"

Sieg got back up and yelled out, "How dare you!?" His voice sounded angry.

"Nee-chan, run," Ranma Purple said to Kasumi. "It's dangerous here." He already had the Terminal Belt out and was ready to strap it on when Kasumi placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Ryutaros," Kasumi said gently, "You shouldn't be rude. This is Sieg, my Imagin."

Blink.

Blink.

"WHAT!?" Ranma Purple yelled out.

'_WHAT!?_' Ranma yelled inside his head.

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Aboard the DenLiner.

"WHAT!!!???" Momotaros yelled out as he spat out his coffee.

"What is it?" Hana asked.

Urataros was playing with a toy fishing rod as he fished out small toy fish out of a kiddy pool. He commented, "It would appear that Kasumi-chan has made a contract with an Imagin."

"I know that, baka!" Momotaros shouted, seething.

Kintaros was in the corner, doing pushups…in his sleep. That's right, the Yellow Bear Imagin could even exercise in his sleep.

"Okay, now I'm going to go there and teach this Imagin a lesson!" Momotaros proclaimed.

"But, Sempai," Urataros reminded, "Ryuta's using Ranma's body right now."

Momotaros knew what this meant. They all did. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the childish Purple Dragon Imagin was a lot stronger than they were. He could block them all out if he wanted too. Even Ranma had trouble reigning him in. It nearly drained the poor kid after he tried it just once. Fortunately, the purple dragon had a weakness and it was named Kasumi.

"Damn it," Momotaros grumbled before parking himself on a seat. Naomi served him some coffee to call him down and he guzzled it down angrily.

Hana decided to check into this. If Ryutaros hadn't transformed by now, then something was up. She would have to see for herself since the other Imagin weren't talking.

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"Nee-chan, you made a wish!?" Ranma Purple asked, shocked.

"That's right," Sieg said confidently. Ranma Purple glared at him.

'_Ryutaros, let me talk to him for awhile,_' Ranma said. Ryutaros nodded and ejected from Ranma's body. However, he appeared next to him as a pile of sand after spilling out of Ranma's clothes. He crossed his arms as he glared at the white Imagin. With some order (mixed with extreme tension) established, Ranma decided to try something that Urataros often hinted that he try to do. Talk things through.

"Kasumi," Ranma spoke seriously, "You actually made a contract with an Imagin? You know how dangerous that is?"

"Ranma, I didn't know he was even inside me," Kasumi said. She did feel a little guilty about that, but Sieg didn't seem very dangerous. In fact, he seemed like a very charming gentleman.

"How long have you been inside her?" Ranma asked turning to the white Imagin. Sieg pondered a moment before giving a reply.

"I think it was about the same day when all the Imagin came into this time," Sieg finally answered.

"THAT long?" Ranma said in surprise. The sound of opening doors caught everyone's attention before they saw Hana suddenly came barreling into the room.

"Hana-san," Kasumi greeted with a nod.

"Hi, Kasumi," Hana greeted, eyes on the new Imagin. "So, this is the Imagin that Momotaros was complaining about?"

"Yup, he is," Ranma answered, "And apparently he's been in Kasumi since day one."

"But that was a long time ago," Hana said in surprise. Usually Imagin immediately manifested themselves as soon as they found themselves a host. Ryutaros was an exception since he had been dormant in Ranma because he'd possessed Ranma at the same time as Urataros. Why did it take so long for Sieg to act?

"You must be curious then," Sieg said. Nabiki walked into the kitchen to see the new white Imagin and quirked an eyebrow.

"Why is there an Imagin in our house?" she asked coolly. To Kasumi and Ranma, they knew Nabiki was on the verge of panic. You could tell by the strain in her voice. Nabiki hated surprises, unless they benefited her in some way.

"Why else?" Ranma sighed. He didn't want Nabiki to start jumping to conclusions so he attempted to drop the news that Kasumi made the wish gently. "Someone made a wish and he appeared."

"Who made a wish?" Nabiki pressed. Sieg, Ranma (reluctantly), and Ryutaros all pointed towards Kasumi. Nabiki rolled her eyes. Some people just had all the luck. On the other hand though, if someone was going to get what appeared to be a nice Imagin to grant them a wish, Kasumi deserved it the most. It didn't stop her from internally cursing her luck though. All these Imagin were going through her house and not one of them decided that she could use a wish.

"To those whom don't know, my name is Sieg," Sieg introduced himself again. Everyone's attention instantly snapped to him. "And as for the wish, Kasumi here said that she wished someone would sweep her off her feet."

Nabiki, Hana and Ranma all stared at Kasumi who had the decency to blush. Of all the things they thought Kasumi would wish for, this wasn't one of the things they were expecting.

"And I have every intention of granting it," the white Imagin added.

"How?" Ranma asked, suspiciously.

"By taking her out on a date, of course!" Sieg replied.

Ranma blinked.

Hana blinked.

Nabiki blinked, twice.

"You…want to take Kasumi, out on…a date?" Nabiki asked, still not believing what she'd just heard. When was the last time Kasumi had even show on interest in dating? Come to think of it, when was the last time a guy actually asked for one?

"That is correct," Sieg nodded. Ryutaros just growled in anger but he couldn't make a scene with Kasumi present. It wouldn't be nice and his Nee-chan would scold him for being rude. Hana just thought this was a little weird. Imagin usually had ulterior motives when granting wishes, it was the thing they did. This Imagin, however, seemed like he just wanted to grant her wish anyway.

"But how exactly?" Hana asked, still wary of this white Imagin. "I mean, you will kinda attract attention."

"This is Nerima though," Ranma reasoned. "He won't stick out as much as you think."

"Even so, I do not wish Kasumi and I to be placed under undue scrutiny. To that end," Sieg tapped his chin and looked Ranma over, "I think you'll do."

"Huh?" Ranma let out in surprise before Sieg changed into white energy and fused with him. This shocked Hana since Ranma hadn't been the one that made the contract with Sieg.

Ranma's appearance had changed. The newest acquisition to his wardrobe was the white feather boa around his neck. Also, Ranma's hair was now loose and a strand of it rested on his shoulder. White streaks decorated his hair. His eyes flashed silver.

"Ah, perfect fit," Ranma White stated. He smiled to Kasumi, "Shall we? How about tonight? Dinner and a movie?"

Ryutaros was ready to throw a tantrum. Actually, he did, "No! No! No!" he yelled out, "Nee-chan, don't go out with him!"

Kasumi still hadn't said word. This was just so sudden! A date? When was the last time she had even gone out for fun? She was still having trouble wrapping her mind around it. Despite being an Imagin, Sieg was still a very charming and gentlemanly fellow. She thought that men like him looked for women who were like princesses, yet here he was asking plain Kasumi for a date.

Ryutaros decided to possess Ranma's body. Maybe he could push Sieg out. There was no way he was going to let this guy get near his nee-chan! As he flew at Ranma's body, his sandy body just shattered as it smashed into an invisible shield. Ranma White let him off, seeing as Ryutaros was just a child and not worth his time.

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"Waaaagh!" Ryutaros cried as he dropped to the cold floor of DenLiner. "Ow!"

"Eh?" Kintaros snorted as he woke up from his exercises. "Ryuta?"

"Oi!" Momotaros snapped as he got up. He instantly dashed over to Ryutaros and stood the young Imagin up. "You saw the Imagin, right? That means Ranma's body is free!"

"Wait, Sempai!" Urataros called, feeling that something was wrong.

"Urusei!" Momotaros snapped as he began to run. "I'm gonna give that Imagin a piece of my mind!"

Momotaros began his charge to take over Ranma's body again. He was about to leap and phase into energy again when a white wave of energy blocked him and sent him crashing back into Ryutaros, knocking them both to the ground.

"Ack!" Ryutaros cried. "Momotaros! You're heavy! Get off so I can beat up that Imagin who took Ranma!"

"EH?!" Naomi, Kintaros, and Urataros cried as they heard Ryutaros' outburst.

"A new Imagin has taken over Ranma!?" Momotaros exclaimed. Great, it was already crowded as it was.

"But, Ranma didn't make the contract, did he?" Urataros asked. "Kasumi did."

Owner was in his booth, enjoying a plate of fried rice. "It would appear that this new Imagin possesses quite a unique ability," he added, "The power to possess those other than his contract holder."

"We have to get him the hell out!" Momotaros cried, angrily. "He's got no right possessing Ranma."

"But it would appear that he is stronger than Ryuta," Urataros pointed as Ryutaros sulked in a corner. "And none of us have been able to take over when Ryuta's in control.

Momotaros growled. But, all he had to do was wait for this new Imagin to come onboard DenLiner and give him a piece of his mind.

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Nabiki and Hana were both shocked to see what had happened. They both knew Ryutaros was powerful and even Ranma put him on the same level as Saffron. For Sieg to just block him like that proved he was much stronger than he looked.

"Well, Kasumi?" Ranma White asked, acting as if Ryutaros hadn't just tried to steal Ranma back.

"Oh my!" Kasumi blushed horribly. Reality seemed to come back to her. "Oh, I can't just go on a date. I have so many things to do."

"Hmm?" Ranma White blinked. He was a little confused. He had known how much Kasumi wished for her personal prince charming, but she had a prince before her and she wasn't reacting the way she hoped. "And what things would those be?"

"Dinner for one thing," Kasumi replied as she turned to the oven. The blush was still evident on her face. "Everything is already cooking and I can't just leave it or it will be ruined."

"And I do NOT want to have Akane's cooking," Nabiki spoke up. "If you're in Ranma's body then you can see it in his memories."

Ranma White blinked at the odd comment before he decided to follow Nabiki's suggestion. After a few moments, he shuddered in sheer revulsion. Surely Ranma had the stomach of the gods if he could swallow those monstrosities Kasumi's youngest sister cooked and only got sick for a short time.

"A compelling argument," Ranma White agreed. "I would not wish that substance on the lowest of life forms."

"It is my responsibility to ensure that my family eats well and properly," Kasumi continued. "I am much to busy to go on a date tonight."

Now Ranma White was finding himself in a sticky situation. He wished to grant Kasumi's wish, but her sense of duty towards her family was amazingly strong. The silver-eyed boy truly had to respect her for her feelings. He couldn't think of many people who would show that level of dedication to another without getting anything in return. With the exception of Nabiki, who kept the home financially secure, Ranma White wondered if the people living here even deserved someone like Kasumi.

"Perhaps another time then," Ranma White sighed in disappointment. "However, I am a patient man and you shall be hearing from me again."

Ranma's body suddenly lurched as white energy left him and reformed into Sieg. Ranma blinked and trembled for a moment. He seemed to be disoriented, but otherwise healthy.

"I shall bid you all adieu," Sieg bowed before he turned toward Hana and the door she was standing in. He walked as a man of stature through the open doorway, ignoring Hana as he walked out to board DenLiner. The young woman from the lost time blinked at the white Imagin's actions. She turned to gaze at the collected people incredulously. Kasumi instantly gasped as it dawned on her that Sieg had nowhere else to go besides the Tendo dojo.

"Ranma," she spoke up. "Would you please share your pass with Sieg?"

"What?" Ranma blinked. "That stuck-up jerk just stole my body and you want me to share my pass with him?"

"Please, Ranma?" Kasumi pleaded. "He has nowhere else to go!"

"Fine," Ranma sighed. There was no way that he could deny Kasumi anything. She had done a lot for him during his time at the dojo and it would be pretty selfish of him. "I'll share the pass with him. It will keep him out of the way anyway."

"Okay," Hana nodded. She then headed out to follow Sieg to DenLiner, closing the door behind her. When she was gone, Ranma let out a long sigh at his misfortune. It was going to be one of those days.

-----------------------------------------**DenLiner**----------------------------------------

"Hmm," Sieg observed as he stepped onto the DenLiner. Hana was close behind. Somehow, she knew that trouble was brewing and that she would have to try and calm everyone down, again.

"A fine train, I suppose," Sieg mentioned in a bored tone. "I have not much room to complain since I am a guest, but I still expect nothing but the finest."

Hana resisted the temptation to punch the white Imagin. Not only for the fact that he didn't deserve it for the time being, but also because if he was as strong as she was led to believe, then she would be in a ton of trouble for it as well.

The other four Imagin were passing the time in their own ways, waiting for word on the situation. Momotaros was still guzzling coffee while Urataros was still playing with the fishing pole that he had found earlier. Kintaros managed to find a barbell somewhere and was exercising with it. Ryutaros was still sulking in a corner where Naomi was busy trying to cheer him up.

"Rejoice one and all," a sudden announcement called, catching everyone's attention. They turned to the doorway and saw Sieg standing there. "Your prince has arrived."

"You!" Ryutaros cried as he quickly stood up and stomped over to Sieg. The white Imagin was looking the car over, not really taking notice of the upset purple Imagin that was heading towards him. "You had better not have done anything to Nee-chan!"

"Sadly, Kasumi sees her responsibility to her family worth of sacrificing her personal life," Sieg sighed in a sadly dramatic way as he slowly walked down the aisle of the car. "She turned me down."

"Ahh," Urataros nodded. "Kasumi-chan is like that. Family is one of the most important things in the world to her. I would be surprised if she even considered a date."

"Oh?" Sieg commented as he turned to the blue Imagin. "You seem to know Kasumi very well then. May I ask how well?"

"You're contracted to her, Bird-Boy," Momotaros growled. "You should know plenty about her."

"I am not called 'bird-boy'," Sieg huffed, glancing sideways at the red Imagin. "I am known as Sieg. You may call me Prince if you like. It does not matter either way to me. Of course, it will take time for you peons to learn on how to properly address me."

"What did you just call me!?" Momotaros demanded, angrily getting in Sieg's face.

"A peon," Sieg repeated.

"Nobody calls me a peon and gets away with it!" Momotaros yelled as he grabbed Sieg by the collar. He then added, asking everyone, "What's a peon?"

Everyone facefaulted. Urataros then explained, "Peon is another word for servant, Sempai." He silently chuckled under his breath.

"Unhand me, peon!" Sieg exclaimed as he pushed Momotaros away and repaired his collar.

"That's it, Bird-Boy!" Momotaros cracked his knuckles, "Time to feel the pain!" He rushed over to Sieg who simply sidestepped him and stuck out his foot. Momotaros tripped and then fell straight into the counter. Sieg just sighed.

"It will take a long time to train him," Sieg sighed. Momotaros got up and stomped over to Sieg.

"That's it, Bird-Boy! I am at my Climax now!" Momotaros yelled out.

"And it is high time you learnt your lesson!" Sieg declared, pointing to the air, "Your head is too high! Too high!"

Momotaros body suddenly began to tingle. A strange feeling came over his body and before he knew it his body was getting smaller, and smaller, and smaller…"Oi, what's going on!?" In a puff of smoke, he was turned into a 4 inch tall figure. "Hey, you jerk! What did you do!?"

"Kawaii!" Ryutaros darted forward and grabbed the shrunken Momotaros.

"Hey, brat!" Momotaros snapped. "Let me go!"

Everyone gasped when they saw what Sieg had done. The Swan Imagin then sat down on and empty booth and snapped his fingers towards Naomi, "A cup of coffee, please, and make haste."

"Okay!" Naomi replied cheerfully as she began to make a new cup of coffee for the new Imagin on DenLiner.

A door opened and Owner walked in, "A new Imagin I see, and with unique abilities as well."

"Oh, are you the master of this fine train?" Sieg asked. Owner nodded.

"I welcome you aboard DenLiner, Prince Sieg," Owner bowed. Might as well play along.

"Thank you, kind sir," Sieg nodded.

"To be able to possess someone aside from their contract holder is a unique skill, and the ability to shrink others is also quite unique," Owner stated.

Sieg's eyes went over to the screaming and miniature Momotaros who Ryutaros was playing with. "It helps teach valuable lessons."

"Let's just hope you do not use your abilities for bad intentions," Owner said cryptically before sitting down. Naomi served Sieg his coffee and then served Owner his fried rice. "The timeline must be preserved."

"I have no intentions of damaging the timeline," Sieg said as he took a sip. "Ah, how refreshing." He continued, "All I want is to take Kasumi on a romantic date."

Ryutaros dropped Momotaros and stomped angrily over to Sieg, "No, no, no!" he objected, "You cannot take Nee-chan out! She's mine!"

"I see no claim over her," Sieg calmly responded. With children he had to be patient, "Also, who do you think you are to tell me not to take her out on a date? You're not even her real brother."

Ryutaros then cried and went back to his corner to sulk. Hana frowned.

"That wasn't very nice," Hana said, clenching her fist. Sieg didn't have to say that.

"Forgive me. I sometimes don't think before I say anything. It's mostly instinct for me," Sieg said as he took another sip.

"Well, it must be frustrating since you are unable to woo Kasumi-chan," Urataros said, "Believe me, I have tried."

"A woman wants a strong man!" Kintaros grunted before snoring again. He was asleep and exercising at the same time again.

"Well, I can wait," Sieg sighed, "Good women like her are worth waiting for."

"Nyaaa!" Ryutaros cried angrily. No one really paid attention.

--------------------------------------------**Tendo Dojo**-------------------------------------------------

"I do hope Sieg will be all right," Kasumi spoke as she finished putting the plates on the table.

"Naomi will get him what he needs," Ranma grumbled as he took his usual seat. "I'm more concerned about the others freaking out about him."

"I wonder if he'll be able to become his own version of Den-O," Nabiki pondered as she prepared to eat.

Kasumi shrugged demurely before she walked to the front yard where her father was waiting for Genma to arrive. Kasumi barely held in one of her seldom sighs. Her father was just so silly when it came to looking out for his friend. Her father seemed to turn a blind eye towards Genma's wrongdoings whenever he was faced with them. Kasumi had noted it the first time Ukyo arrived. Her father instantly attacked Ranma for it for some reason.

'_That is something I believe is called denial,_' Sieg's voice spoke in her mind. It was all Kasumi could do to keep from gasping in shock. Instead, she decided to play it cool and get her father inside.

"Father, dinner is ready," she called to the male Tendo.

"Oh, thank you, Kasumi," Soun nodded as he stood up. "I do wonder where Saotome has been. It isn't like him to run off when things are this peaceful."

'_The blue one takes credit for that,_' Sieg spoke up again. '_It seems he has sent the cursed thief to the zoo for some of his crimes against young Ranma._'

Kasumi was now trying very hard not to react. She had to remain calm or else her father would begin to get suspicious. She had promised to keep the Imagin and everything remotely connected to them a secret. If her father or Genma found out about DenLiner, then they would try to use it for themselves. Most likely they would try to get rid of the problems Genma made or make sure the failed wedding wasn't such a failure. Kasumi couldn't really see how it would work though. Even if they changed the wedding, Ranma wouldn't have changed at all. He was a Singularity Point after all.

'_Beauty and Intelligence,_' Sieg sighed wistfully. '_My dear, it is truly amazing that you are not wed by now._'

Kasumi was thankful that she was behind her father at the moment. The rosy blush that came to her cheeks seemed to be luminous. Of course, it only served to enhance her beauty, which any male remotely interested in women would truly appreciate. Heck, even Ranma would think of her as cute and he was oblivious to women.

Soun and Kasumi returned to the living room where the dinner table was placed. Akane was already there, having come back down from sulking in her room. She was still throwing glares at Ranma.

'_So this is the one known as Akane,_' Sieg observed through Kasumi's eyes. '_I do wonder why Ranma would choose her over you. Is it because they are both martial artists?_'

'_Sadly, no,_' Kasumi replied in her thoughts depressingly. '_When Ranma first arrived, his curse frightened me a little. So I shoved the engagement onto Akane. Nabiki did too. She didn't take it too well. I thought that maybe they would work it out, but with our fathers meddling, more fiancées, and other suitors for Akane, they just haven't gotten the chance to be alone very often. Even when they do, Akane loses her temper over something and hits Ranma for it, despite the possibility that he had nothing to do with it._'

'_I see,_' Sieg frowned. '_Then it appears that Akane is unsuitable. She is much too immature for something as binding and intimate as marriage. Why hasn't it been moved to either you or Nabiki?_'

'_Well, Nabiki took it once, but I think she only did it as a ploy for Akane to see how much she really cares about Ranma,_' Kasumi replied as she ate. '_As of all the other times, no one really seems to care. Genma and father still try to force the two into marriage for some reason. I just don't understand why they are so desperate to unite the schools. We were doing fine with them being separate._'

'_Hmmm,_' Sieg pondered to himself.

'_Of course the other fiancées don't really help things either,_' Kasumi sighed internally.

'_Other fiancées?_' Sieg blinked.

'_Yes,_' Kasumi confirmed. '_Mr. Saotome engaged Ranma to other girls so he could get the dowries. Of course, he had no intention of following through with those pledges. Then when those girls come to collect, it somehow becomes Ranma's fault that they come. Mr. Saotome gets upset with Ranma for not making them go away while Akane hits Ranma and calls him a pervert._'

'_As an observer, I would say that this Genma here is to blame and is only using Ranma as a scapegoat_,' Sieg put in, '_Such a man is dishonorable. He is unable to accept the fact that he is wrong and when he is he just puts the blame on others and gets away scot-free. This Akane girl also has a vicious temper and jumps to conclusions to quickly to see the errors of her ways. Neither of them deserve Ranma, if you ask me._'

Kasumi mentally agreed. Any possible chance for a relationship to form between Ranma and Akane had already been destroyed, but the fathers were too stubborn and still adamant in wanting the wedding to go as planned. Honor may be at stake, but so was happiness. If Ranma and Akane did get married, it'd be both a short and unhappy marriage.

'_Ranma deserves a sweet, kind, beautiful and patient person, Princess_,' Sieg said, '_like you._'

Kasumi blushed at the compliment and then relayed, '_Did you just call me, 'Princess'?_'

'_To me, you possess the qualities of a princess, the good ones at least. You're not selfish, vain or self-centered. To me, you are a princess. Is that alright?_'

'_Thank you, Sieg._'

'_You're welcome, Princess_.'

Ranma knew why Kasumi was silent as she ate. It was because she was communicating with her Imagin. If the blush on her face was any indication, Sieg was still trying to woo her for a date and he might just be making progres. Earlier, Ranma found out that Momotaros had been shrunken down to size, literally, by Sieg. Could he do that to other things beside Imagin? Who knew? It would prove useful in the future since Sieg had chosen Ranma as his vessel.

Ryutaros wasn't happy about it, but not like Momotaros. Ranma could sense that the Dragon Imagin was jealous because Sieg was coming on to Kasumi. Ryutaros was a little kid by nature and very possessive of the eldest Tendo daughter. Ranma knew there would be trouble there.

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A small restaurant was going about its usual business as the staff catered to their customers. All of a sudden, the window shattered as a figure leapt into the establishment. People screamed as the monster went on a rampage.

It was dressed in black leather clothes, boots and gloves and also wearing crystal armor. Its head was an orange pumpkin carved up like a Jack-O-Lantern. It was also holding scythe. To the stunned audience it now had, the Pumpkin Imagin swung the weapon around, slashing tables in half and causing a panic. It grabbed a waiter by the neck and threw him into the wall before it continued to frighten the innocent staff and customers. Between the fleeing customers and the raging Imagin, the restaurant was being totaled and the tables and chairs laid scattered in pieces. Satisfied that the eating area was totally destroyed, it then dashed into the kitchen. The cooks screamed as the monster actually took hold of its head and detached it from its shoulders. The head was revealed to have a chain attached to it. The Pumpkin Imagin spun the chain around and swung, crushing the stoves with its pumpkin head like a wrecking ball. The stoves exploded and the Pumpkin Imagin looked around in satisfaction. The restaurant was burning before its eyes and seeing the destruction gave it a grin of satisfaction.

"Ahh, I love the smell of arson in the evening," the Pumpkin Imagin chuckled as it turned to the exit.

With the customers and staff gone, there was no one left to witness the Pumpkin Imagin's victory. Sirens were blaring in the distance, which was rare in Nerima. The police may have a lot to be desired for in the community, but the fire department was much more reliable. Amazingly enough, the fire department wasn't needed that often despite the destruction caused by numerous martial arts battles.

With its grin still placed on its orange head, the Pumpkin Imagin began roof-hopping away from the scene, searching for its next target.

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Kasumi woke up with a small yawn the next day. She was up bright and early to get her chores done. All the excitement with Sieg had put her out of sync. Still, it was exciting to know that there was a man with a genuine interest in her, even if he wasn't human. She did wish for someone to sweep her off her feet, but Sieg could have gotten someone else rather than try to date her himself. She still had a small smile on her face when she thought about it.

'_Good morning, Princess,_' Sieg greeted pleasantly.

"Oh!" Kasumi gasped in slight surprise. Since she was by herself, she didn't have to worry about anyone hearing her. "Good morning, Sieg. Did you sleep well?"

'_Very well thank-you,_' Sieg replied pelasantly. '_I have managed to obtain a residence fitting for one such as I.'_

"That's nice," Kasumi smiled.

--------------------------------------------**DenLiner**--------------------------------------------------

"Most fitting indeed," Sieg nodded as he sipped from his teacup.

He was lounging on a couch with some minor decorations which looked very pricey. He was also surrounded by a veil of silk. Outside of the veil, it seemed that his room had been set up inside the baggage car. At the doorway of the car, Hana and the four Taros were watching the Imagin lounge away and talk to Kasumi.

"Why does Bird-Boy get his own car?" Momotaros asked angrily.

"Well, no one was using it," Hana sighed. "Owner said there was no rule against it either."

"So he's allowed to bunk here?" wondered Urataros. "A clever fellow."

"No fair!" Ryutaros whined. "I have to sleep next to Kuma-chan, Kame-chan, and Momotaros. I didn't know that we could make a room here!"

"I could have used this for a training room," Kintaros commented as he looked at the spacious area.

"You know," Sieg suddenly spoke up. "If you wish to enter then you must ask for permission."

"Oi!" Momotaros snapped. He stomped over to the silk veils and opened them wide. Sieg looked bored as he stirred his tea. "Who do you think you are, Bird-Boy?!"

"It seems that there is a stubborn one," Sieg sighed before he stood up. "Must I discipline you again?"

"I dare you!" Momotaros raged. Urataros and Kintaros instantly snapped into action and grabbed the angry red Imagin by his arms. Even if Sieg could shrink Momotaros again, they didn't want to get the white Imagin mad if he was as powerful as he seemed. Having an Imagin like Ryutaros around was stressful enough with his mood swings. Having a rival for Kasumi's was going to make things very tense for everyone on DenLiner for the time being.

Sieg had been planning on how to understand Kasumi more and decided that the best course of action would be to associate with the common folk. But how would he do that? He tapped his head for a moment before an idea popped into his head.

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Ranma was snoozing away in his futon, not knowing what was about to happen. This impending disaster was none other than Genma, who had finally managed to escape from the zoo during the night. He had been subject to numerous rabies injections which were extremely painful. Genma vowed that he would make his child respect his elders as he should through their sparring session for the morning. Genma was in his birth form with a bucket of water. His plan was to disorient his son by activating his curse and then throw him out the window before beginning the fight. It worked to catch his child off-guard for a while so he might discipline the boy for his disrespect.

As Genma brought his arms back to splash Ranma, he didn't notice the slight flicker of white energy.

"Wake up, boy!" Genma bellowed as he threw the water at Ranma.

"Hah!"

Ranma's futon blanket went flying as Genma threw the water, blocking the liquid quite easily. When Genma swatted the blanket away, he found Ranma standing right in front of him in his boxers and undershirt. He was also wearing a white feathered boa with his hair free and white streaks running through it. His eyes were also silver, but Genma didn't notice. What he did notice was the 'feminine' garb wrapped around his son's neck.

"Boy!" Genma snapped. "Why are you wearing that frilly thing?! What would your mother say if she saw you in it?"

"This?" Ranma White asked as he raised the end of the boa. "This is a symbol of my status. This is a symbol of my superiority. You have no right to question it."

"What?!" Genma bellowed. "Boy, I am your father and I demand that you remove that frilly, unmanly thing at once!"

"No," Ranma White replied simply.

Genma was struck speechless. Usually, Ranma would raise hell when someone tried to force him to do something. He would fight it both verbally and physically when he thought the aggressor could take it. For him to just casually disregard Genma made the part-time panda even more infuriated.

"That's it, boy!" Genma bellowed. "I WILL make you respect me!"

With that, Genma launched an attack at his son. Ranma White smirked as he watched the bald martial artist come at him. Now he would see how formidable the honorless thief was.

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Nabiki shook the sleep from her eyes as she finally managed to get out of bed. She released a zombie-like moan as she got her bathrobe on. She needed some coffee and she needed it STAT. Her mental facilities usually needed a good caffeine fix or some kind of wake up call to really get moving in the morning.

WHAM!!

And the sounds of someone getting pummeled usually worked. Now fully awake, Nabiki realized that she almost felt the floor shake from the impact of whatever had gotten hit. Quickly making sure that she was decent, she opened the door to the hallway. She was about to go inspect the noise when the door to the guestroom opened in a flurry of white feathers and sunlight. Out stepped none other than Ranma White.

He was donned in his usual Chinese clothes, but these ones were embroidered with the image of a phoenix as well as pure white. The phoenix was made of gold thread and looked absolutely majestic as it spread its wings over Ranma's chest. His feathered boa was draped around his neck and his hair was still loose.

"Good morning, Nabiki," Ranma White bowed respectfully. "My apologies for waking you. The panda had attempted to strike Ranma when he was down just as I took control. I decided to chastise him for his poor judgment."

"Uh...yeah," Nabiki blinked. Despite the fact that she knew it was Ranma's body, Sieg made him look VERY desirable. Nabiki figured that picture profits would skyrocket if she could get a few pics of Ranma White in his preferred clothes. Give him Urataros' charm and probably even devout lesbians would want a piece of him. The prospect of such a market made Inner Nabiki giggle in delight.

Ranma White nodded and stepped into the hall before traveling to the stairs. Nabiki spared a glance into his room and saw Genma unconscious on the floor. Considering that there was no collateral damage beyond a soaked futon blanket, Nabiki could tell that Ranma White had put Genma down in one punch. A considerable feat since the overweight martial artist was used to taking abuse from his son. It made the middle Tendo daughter wonder just how powerful Sieg was.

Meanwhile, Ranma White finished his pilgrimage downstairs where Kasumi was setting plates for breakfast. She stood up to get the food when she saw Ranma White and gasped in surprise. There was a slight flush to her cheeks as well.

"G-good morning, Sieg," Kasumi bowed politely. She actually forgot that she had already said her good mornings when she woke up.

"And another good morning to you as well, Princess," Ranma White smiled before he took Kasumi's hand and placed a tender kiss on it. The eldest Tendo daughter had to fight to keep her blush down. No one had ever treated her like this in such a long time. She was still getting used to the treatment.

"Um...did...did you see Mr. Saotome this morning?" Kasumi asked hesitantly. She was trying to keep things moving normally, but the effect Sieg, a man who was very forward with his interest in her, was proving it difficult.

"I did," Ranma White nodded. "The fool attempted to attack Ranma while he was asleep. It was fortunate that I decided to borrow Ranma's form before he could complete the attack. I then...disciplined him for his actions."

"Oh," Kasumi blinked. "Then I'll set a place for him as well. We will eat once Akane gets back from her jog."

"I look forward to it, Princess," Ranma White smiled.

------------------------------------------------**DenLiner**-----------------------------------------------

"Gaaahhh!" Momotaros raged as he stomped back into the Dining car where Naomi just finished serving Owner his breakfast. "Bird-Boy stole Ranma's body again! I'm gonna cream him when he gets back!"

"Now, now, Sempai," Urataros spoke as he followed the red Imagin. "He'll just shrink you again. I think he's a rather nice addition to our little family."

"EHHH?!?!?!" Ryutaros cried, somehow coming up between the two Imagin. "You like him?! Kame-chan, he's trying to take Nee-chan away! Kuma-chan said girls like strong men and the birdie is really strong!"

"He is very strong," Kintaros agreed as he walked back into the Dining Car. "A most formidable foe as well. I look forward to sparring with him!"

Hana sighed as she entered the Dining Car last, "All right you four! We can't just go making a fuss because someone new is here. There's more than enough room and if he stays in the baggage car then you won't see him often."

"Humph!" Momotaros snorted as he sat in one of the booths. "Oi, Owner! Can't you kick Bird-Boy off or something? He's not even contracted to Ranma!"

"Ranma is currently sharing his pass with Sieg," Owner replied slowly after taking a bite of his breakfast. "He is permitted onto DenLiner so long as Ranma permits him to be."

"And with Kasumi-chan asking him to do this, I don't think he'll be leaving for a while," Urataros added as he went to get a coffee from Naomi.

"KUSO!!" Momotaros roared before going into his usual grumbling/sulking position in his booth.

---------------------------------------------**Tendo Dojo**------------------------------------------------

Akane jogged onto her family's property and took a couple of moments to catch her breath. She liked to jog since it helped her clear her head. It was one of her small retreats since the mess with the engagements came into her life. She bent over slightly to help catch her breath but winced when her bruises started reminding her that they were still there. The bruises on her torso were something she had acquired when Ranma actually took her seriously for a change. Luckily her joints weren't bugging her from when she tried a second time. It still bugged her though. When had Ranma gotten the guts to stand up to and actually hit a girl? When did he get so tough in the first place? Akane hated it when the weird stuff went on without explanation and she was determined to get some answers.

Walking towards the house, she noticed that Kasumi and Ranma were sitting at the table, waiting for everyone else. She blinked when she saw that Ranma was wearing all white and a white boa around his neck. Now the weirdness alarm in Akane's head was going on. Ranma wouldn't be caught dead wearing something like that in male form and in female form would be a long shot.

Her temper began boiling when she saw what Ranma was doing while wearing all that white. She could see him talking to Kasumi and that her older sister was actually blushing! That meant Ranma had to be saying something perverted or embarrassing to her older sister. Kasumi NEVER blushed over anything. Akane rubbed her knuckles in anticipation, promptly forgetting what happened the last time she attacked Ranma. Akane knew that she had the pervert this time. There was no way that he was going to try and explain his way out of this one.

Akane dashed over to where her sister and Ranma were sitting. Ranma had his back to her so she had the perfect opportunity for a good shot. She reared back her fist and prepared to let Ranma have it just as she hurtled out her favorite insult.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" she cried as she sent her fist to plow into the back of Ranma's skull.

Ranma White felt the intent for the attack practically a mile away. He let out a small sigh as he realized that Akane's temper truly was as bad as Ranma's memories reported. Kasumi's look of shock as her enraged younger sister came to attack him only gave Ranma White more warning of the attack. Akane's battle cry however, that was the last tip he needed to know when to react.

Acting quickly, Ranma White twisted his torso a little so that he could see the attack coming properly. As Akane's fist came closer to creaming him, he brought up his own hand and effortlessly caught the punch in his right hand. Akane was again stunned as for the third time in only a few days Ranma had stood up to her.

"And what gives you the right to attack me without provocation?" Ranma White asked with narrowed eyes.

"I was protecting my sister!" Akane snapped angrily.

"Protecting her?" asked Ranma White. "From what?"

"From you, you pervert!" Akane shrieked. "Don't deny it either! I saw you flirting with her!"

"Of course I was flirting with her," Ranma White sighed. "I wish to get closer to her."

"Don't try to deny i-huh?" Akane raged before Ranma White's words hit her. "Wait...you admit it?"

"I wish to get closer to your oldest sister," Ranma White repeated. "I don't really see why you should care. You always say you don't wish to marry me."

"Huh?" Akane blinked. She then started getting upset again. "Oh, so you're going to start stringing Kasumi along like you do those other girls? I figured a pervert like you would do that!"

"Oh, you mean the Amazon and the chef," Ranma White sighed. "I can honestly tell you that I do not string them along. They are attracted to my charisma and that is something that cannot turn off like a light switch."

"Oh, I'm sure," Akane snapped, taking her hand back. "You're just using it as an excuse to flirt with other girls!"

"You know," Ranma White sighed. "If you could get a handle on your needless jealously and anger, I don't see why the engagement can't work. As it is, you refuse to trust any male despite the fact that they have helped you numerous times without asking for anything in return and assume that your way is always right."

"It's because all men are perverts!" Akane snapped. "They're all after the same thing!"

"Oh I am impressed," Ranma White snickered. "You know every man in the world? That must be the case if you can say all men are perverts."

"I don't need to," Akane growled. "I just know."

"So then Dr. Tofu and Ryoga must be perverts," Ranma White retorted, causing Akane to stiffen.

"They are not!" Akane cried. "There's no way that they can be perverts!"

"But you just said that **all** men are perverts," Ranma White shot back. "Which is it, Akane? Are all men in the world perverts or are you going to admit that not all men are perverts?"

Kasumi had to admit that Ranma White was raising some good points. He was looking at the lapses in Akane's logic concerning men and her irrational behavior concerning Ranma and the fiancées. No one really had done that before. Of course, seeing Akane's temper about to blow, she guessed why no one had done so before.

"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane shrieked white aiming to punt him across the room.

"I think not!" Ranma White frowned as he grabbed the offending leg. Akane was left balancing on one foot as she saw Ranma White look at her with cold eyes. He then used his strength and sent Akane spinning through the air before she landed on the grass with a thud. "If you resort to violence whenever you are faced with being wrong, I think the chance of another heir for the Tendo Dojo would be extremely low."

Akane just began to growl again. The pervert had beaten her again! She was so going to let him have it, once the world stopped spinning of course.

Nabiki, Genma, and Soun finally came downstairs and joined together for breakfast. Genma was still trying to steal from Ranma White's plate, but the possessed boy was more than capable of fending him off. Soun idly wondered why Akane was outside and Ranma White just told him that she was resting after pushing herself on her jog. The Tendo patriarch accepted the answer and continued eating.

Breakfast soon ended with Akane finally getting her footing again and Genma fuming about his son becoming too relaxed in his training. Ranma White didn't even attempt to steal from Genma's plate. His reasons were that it was rude to their hosts if they fought at the dinner table. Soon enough, Akane, Nabiki, and Ranma White were heading to Furinkan for another day of school. Thankfully, the ladle lady seemed to be taking a break from splashing everyone for a change. Of course, just because there was one headache taking a break, it didn't mean that the others were likewise taking a break.

As the trio walked to the gates of Furinkan, they were met by the usual pompous voice that belonged to the insane upperclassman, Kuno.

"Halt, foul sorcerer!" the kendoist bellowed as he stepped forward with his weapon. "I see you have placed your foul magics on both Akane Tendo and her illustrious sister, Nabiki Tendo. Do your foul desires know no bounds? I shall smite you and free them!"

"How dare you accuse me of dark sorcery?" Ranma White frowned as he stepped forward. "One such as I need no such aid in becoming adored by the people."

"Liar!" Kuno roared. "Only dark magic could reign in the likes of the tigress Akane Tendo and the fiery pigtailed girl!"

"Hmph!" Ranma White snorted. "You seem to be confused, Swordsman. My connection to Akane Tendo was forced upon me by her father. This pigtailed girl you speak of is but a close relation. To engage in romantic escapades with her would be unnatural."

"Again, I call these lies!" Kuno bellowed as he raised his bokken. "You seek to keep these beauties for yourself and away from their true love! Today is the day I shall free them from you!"

"Feel free to perceive my words in any way you wish," Ranma White sighed with some annoyance. "You obviously are too deluded to understand something as simple as the truth. Thus, I shall have to chastise you for your ignorance."

"Enough talk!" Kuno roared before he charged at Ranma with his trusty bokken at the ready.

Ranma White didn't even attempt to move as Kuno ran at him with the intent to put him down. When he was close enough, Kuno slashed wide at the possessed boy. Ranma White quickly just stepped outside the attack range, so to avoid being hit. Kuno quickly recovered and slashed at Ranma White wildly, but each time the possessed boy would dodge him by just a simple movement.

"Though skilled for against commoners," Ranma White commented. "Your so-called swordsmanship pales in the face of real skill."

"Do not mock the skills of the Blue Thunder of Furinkan!" Kuno roared as he went for an overhead strike. "I am the rising star of the kendo world!"

WHAM!! Ranma White's elbow met Kuno's gut in the blink of an eye with the force of a freight train. The kendo artist flew back a few feet before he collapsed. He had no air in his lungs to even make some kind of deluded comment before he fell unconscious.

"The truly skilled have no need to boast about their abilities," Ranma White spoke as he stood straight again. "Those that do obviously have very little or no skill at all."

A slight breeze blew through the silent grounds as the students watched in shock as Ranma had destroyed Kuno for a second time. As he stood dramatically, several white feathers fluttered down from the air and swirled around him from the wind. Taking all this in stride, Ranma White calmly walked into the school.

Akane and every other girl on the yard watched him go in amazement. The boys only watched him go because of how powerful Ranma White had shown himself to be. The girls on the other hand had various reasons. For Nabiki and her lackeys, it was disappointment since it went by too fast to get betting stalls up. For Akane, it was another apparent insult since Ranma was 'obviously' rubbing in her face how much better he was. To the other girls and even a few female teachers of Furinkan, they all had blushes on their faces and sighing dreamily. To them, Ranma had gone from Casanova to a true Prince Charming. What more could they ask for in a boy?

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Classes progressed as normally as they could. Ranma White tried to pay attention as he thought the students in public schools did. He did notice that almost all the females in the room were giving him dreamy and/or lustful stares. The only ones who weren't were Akane, who looked hostile as usual, and Ukyo, who seemed distracted about something. Ranma White did his best to ignore such things. If he was to gain a better understanding of commoners and thus a connection to Kasumi, he was going to live like a commoner while staying in Ranma's body.

Above them, on another floor, more girls were going through their cooking classes. Several of them were hoping to make something edible for the boys they were hoping to snare. Well, the ones who weren't drooling stupidly over Ranma's female form or his fiancées anyway. Some of them definitely needed the practice, but others had the potential of become great chefs one day. All they needed was the time, patience, and experience needed to gain the skills needed to become those chefs.

"So, did you see Ranma today?" asked one girl excitedly.

"I did!" giggled another. "He looked so dreamy out there."

"He sounded a little like Kuno though," a third frowned.

"No way!" cried another. "Kuno spouts poetry thinking it makes him look cool. Ranma was speaking with refinement."

"Yeah!" agreed the first girl. "Ranma meant every word of it too. You can tell that Kuno's is just some fake crud he spouts."

The girls in the room gave various nods and murmurs of agreement. Compared to the true prince that Ranma was showing himself to be, Kuno was looking even more like a poser than ever before. Even the teacher was chatting with the girls abut the low quality of most men in Nerima and how her dating life was non-existent.

While they were talking, a dark figure appeared outside the window. At first, no one noticed because they were too busy cooking or chatting, but when the figure smashed open the glass, several screams rang out through the building. Those screams only became louder as they looked on the visage of the Pumpkin Imagin, grinning back at them.

The Imagin looked at the various things being made and noticed that some of them looked quite appetizing. Now that would just not do. It had a wish to grant and there was no way that it was going to allow some cooking upstart get the better of its contract holder.

"Time to compost this joint!" the Pumpkin Imagin laughed as it raised its scythe.

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The screams of terror were not lost on the other people inside the school. Usually, these screams would echo from some crazy martial artists with an insane technique that no one in their right mind would even think existed, or Akane forced someone (namely Ranma) to test the food she made during her own cooking classes. Since Akane was still in her English class, then something was definitely up. Ranma White only stiffened for a moment before his eyes narrowed and he frowned.

"Imagin," he spoke silently before standing up and heading to the door.

"Mr. Saotome!" Hinako cried in her child form. "Are skipping class to do delinquent things?"

"No, fair teacher," Ranma White replied. "I have heard the screams of several young women, and as a gentleman, I must go to see what could terrify these poor victims."

"Oh," Hinako blinked before smiling adoringly. "Just like in a manga! Okay. Go ahead."

Ranma White nodded before dashing form the room. Akane wanted to shout after him and follow, but she doubted that she would be able to get away from Hinako's draining attacks. For the moment, unless either the bell rang or all hell broke loose, there was no way she was going to leave of her own will.

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Meanwhile, Ranma White was following the screams until he got to the classroom from which they were originating. Gripping the door, he slammed it open to see one other than the Pumpkin Imagin causing havoc and destroying all the ovens and various sweets that the girls had been working on.

"Everyone, run!" Ranma White cried in an authoritative voice.

The girls didn't need to be told twice. Running as a mob which would have crushed Ranma White unless he moved, they vacated the classroom at a rapid pace. Soon, only Ranma White remained with the Pumpkin Imagin glaring at him.

"Ruin my fun will you?" it sneered angrily. "Then take this!"

The Pumpkin Imagin threw its scythe at Ranma White, hoping to cut him in two. As it came closer, a flying ring broke though the window and knocked the weapon away from Ranma White and back into the Pumpkin Imagin's hands. The ring hovered around Ranma for a moment before wrapping around his waist. The ring turned out to be the Terminal Buckle, but it was different. It had a gold buckle with wings flanking it with the centre being white and a beautiful tune coming from it.

"To threaten these young women is a crime I shall not permit," Ranma White frowned as he drew out the Hyper Pass. He then brought it down to his belt. "Henshin."

"**Wing Form!**"

To Be Continued...

A/N: And there you go. Sieg finally makes his appearance. I hope you all enjoy his brand of craziness because you are going to see a lot of it.


	10. Power of a Prince

I do not own Ranma 1/2 or Kamen Rider Den-O. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. I am not getting any monetary compensation for my time and am only doing this for fun. I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 10: Power of a Prince

"**Wing Form!"**

Ranma White's transformation was similar to the others. First, Den-O's Plat Form armor would form before additional armor would equip to him. However, there was one minor difference as the bodysuit under the armor was bright gold instead of black. A black back plate hovered behind him as well as a white chest plate in front him with white wing-like shoulder-guards hovering, flanking him. The armor then snapped onto his body with a loud clank. A blue swan then slid over his face plate before the neck of the bird folded back and the wings snapped onto the helmet to form a visor. Den-O WF went into a pose and said, "Advent, at the top of everything."

Den-O WF looked absolutely majestic as feathers floated down from above him. The Pumpkin Imagin growled before it charged straight towards Den-O WF with every intention of destroying him. Den-O WF folded his hands behind his back and awaited the attack.

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Nabiki was in her classroom when she heard the sound of glass shattering. Her eyes went to outside her class window to see a shocking sight. It was an Imagin straight out of the Tale of Sleepy Hollow and with it was a new Den-O clad in white and gold. Nabiki blinked. She had suspected that Sieg would cause a new Den-O transformation, but she never expected one this profound. All the students went to see the unfolding fight. It was better than studying anyway.

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As Den-O WF and the Pumpkin Imagin fell towards the ground. Den-O WF chuckled. He kneed the Imagin holding him in the gut before sending him to the ground. Dem-O WF landed gracefully on the school grounds while the Pumpkin Imagin was sprawled on its back.

"You are unworthy to fight me," Den-O WF proclaimed arrogantly as he pointed at the Pumpkin Imagin mockingly, "But, as a prince, it is my duty to protect my subjects."

"You're full of it!" the Pumpkin Imagin snapped before charging at Den-O WF again. Den-O WF sidestepped the attack and tripped the Imagin with his foot. The Imagin fell and slid against the ground. Den-O WF shook his head.

"Well, if you wish to fight then maybe I can oblige," Den-O WF said before he reached down to his belt and pulled at the DenGasher pieces. He didn't have to join them together as the pieces automatically combined and into their newest forms. Each weapon was made up of two pieces from the DenGasher. One was a boomerang while the other was a hand-axe. "En guarde."

The Pumpkin Imagin roared and rushed at Den-O WF. It swung its scythe but Den-O WF countered with his boomerang, holding the opposing weapon at bay before chopping down with the axe. The Pumpkin Imagin howled in pain before Den-O WF smashed its chest in with a powerful kick. The Pumpkin Imagin decided to make some distance between itself and Den-O WF before launching another attack. It took hold of its head and the chain attached to it before hurling it straight for Den-O WF. Den-O WF leapt back from the attack and a crater was left in the spot he'd been standing in. The Pumpkin Imagin pulled back its wrecking ball head before swinging it at Den-O WF. He ducked underneath the attack before assessing the situation.

"I need to get out of range from this fiend," Den-O WF told himself as he narrowly avoided another attack. An idea then struck him. He was about to show everyone watching why he was known as 'Wing Form'.

The Pumpkin Imagin prepared another attack when suddenly its eyes widened as a pair of wings spread out from behind Den-O WF. They were huge and glowing. Feathers fell from the sky as Den-O WF revealed his gleaming wings. The Pumpkin Imagin recovered from the shock and attacked again with its head. Den-O WF took to the air to avoid the hit and kept out of range.

"Time for all to witness my power!" Den-O WF announced. He threw his boomerang at the Pumpkin Imagin and it slashed it across the chest. It continued to spin and fly in an arch before slashing the Pumpkin Imagin again. The boomerang seemed to have a life of its own as it continued to attack the evil Imagin over and over again before it returned to Den-O WF's hand.

"Graaaahh!" the Pumpkin Imagin cried as the wounds it sustained really began to take hold. Den-O WF just calmly returned to the ground as his wings folded back into his armor.

"Do you see your fault in fighting me?" the white warrior asked, still prepared to fight.

"Guuhh," the Pumpkin Imagin groaned as it got its bearings back. It turned a hateful glare to Den-O WF before speaking again. "Forget this. I've got better things to do than fight!"

The Pumpkin then took a run at the wall surrounding the property before leaping right over it and away from Furinkan before vanishing in a flash of light. Den-O WF sighed deeply before he started walking towards the building again. As he got closer to the doors and out of sight, he grabbed the Terminal Belt and removed it. In a flash of light, the armor vanished to reveal Ranma White walking at his usual pace.

"So it seems this peasant wasn't such a fool after all," he smirked as he walked into the school. "Now I still have classes to attend."

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Nabiki was being swamped with requests on information about the armored fighter. She was also getting requests about the purple one which they had seen fighting in the school before. She was getting top Yen for the requests so she was creating information packages on what she knew about Den-O and all his forms. Of course, she was making it seem as if there were five of them rather than just one who could take five different forms. Technically, she was right, but those five individuals were all sharing the same body when they fought.

During the time, she was still thinking of a catchy name for Den-O. She knew it had to be memorable as well as cool, not corny and cliché. She tapped her pencil upon a piece of paper, trying to get an idea. Kuno then decided to make his presence known.

"Nabiki Tendo," he said to her, arrogance in his voice despite the many humiliations that had been put upon him.

"What do you want this time, Kuno?" Nabiki asked him, annoyed. "More pictures of Akane and the pigtailed girl?" She still didn't feel very forgiving towards Kuno for making a contract with that Samurai Imagin. Sure she had her schemes but none of them ever threatened the timeline.

"As much as I would love their beauty to grace my walls," Kuno began, "I wish for information of the white armored knight whom repelled the fiend."

Nabiki blinked. That was new. Usually Kuno was oblivious to everything save for Ranma, Akane and Ranma's girl form. She would never have pegged him to become a fan of Den-O. "Why?"

"Because I see him as a noble warrior, unlike the treacherous sorcerer Saotome, and think that it would be good if he had an audience with me so that we may slay the sorcerer once and for all."

Nabiki had to hold in the urge to laugh. How ironic it was to hear Kuno praising Den-O while at the same time insulting Ranma. It was just too much. Well, she might as well make some money out of it.

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Ranma White sat down and smiled as he listened to the gossip about his Wing Form. It was causing quite a stir as well as cause his ego to grow. He loved to listen to people praising him. If only they knew but he also understood that he had to be discreet. Den-O's identity had to be kept a secret after all to deter people from the DenLiner.

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The day continued and the fight was the only thing that any of the students were talking about. Nabiki was making a killing with the information packages about Den-O. Too bad she didn't have a proper name for him just yet.

Ukyo found herself walking home in a daze. She heard about the restaurant which had been destroyed the previous night but had assumed it to be a coincidence. Then she saw the creature she had contracted the day before fighting at school. She didn't have to guess that it started the screaming in the Home Economics room. She was just thankful that no one was injured

"Why do you look so down?" a familiar voice spoke out. "Why? I'm making your wish come true."

Ukyo whipped around to see the Pumpkin Imagin sitting on top of a car. Ukyo was thankful that no one else was around or else there would be some questions asked she didn't want to answer. Not that there would be many of those. The people of Nerima were known for not asking questions.

"This isn't what I wanted!" the okonomiyaki chef cried loudly.

"Oh?" the Pumpkin Imagin replied, standing up. "Your wish was to be the best chef in Nerima, was it not?"

"Yes," Ukyo reluctantly replied. "But I didn't mean for you to burn down other restaurants!

"Why not?" asked the Pumpkin Imagin. It leaped off the car and began walking towards her. "This will ensure that you are the best!"

"How?" Ukyo snapped. "How is this supposed to help me be the best?!"

"Simple," the Pumpkin Imagin laughed. Its grinning face inches away from Ukyo's. "If there are no more chefs or cooks who are better than you, then that means you are the best!"

"But that's cheating!" Ukyo cried.

"No, that's getting what you want!" the Pumpkin Imagin crowed. "This isn't any different from you trying to get that Ranma guy. You cheat all the time when you try to get him!"

"That's different!" Ukyo shouted. "He's my fiancé and I just want to make sure he knows it!"

The Pumpkin Imagin chuckled at its host's foolishness. How amusing it was to rationalize her own actions and yet when he did the same things, she calls it cheating. Humans were such hypocrites.

"Keep telling yourself that," the Pumpkin Imagin laughed as it turned to leave. "I've got a wish to grant."

"Oh no you don't!" Ukyo frowned as she drew her battle spatula. "I'm terminating the contract!"

"Oh?" the Pumpkin Imagin replied slowly as it turned to face her. "Sorry girl. The contract cannot be terminated just like that."

"Watch me," Ukyo frowned before she leaped at the Imagin.

The Pumpkin Imagin summoned its scythe and as the battle spatula came at its head it swung its weapon and cleaved her weapon, leaving her holding only the handle. She gasped at this but then the wind got knocked out of her when the Imagin threw its head like a wrecking ball and slammed her hard into a wall. It then walked over to her and picked her up by the uniform before holding her up against the wall.

"Just because I need you for me to exist, doesn't mean I won't hurt you," he warned, "And don't try anything funny." He let go of her and stepped back, "I have to go and grant your wish. See you later." The Pumpkin Imagin cackled as it vanished in a flash of light.

Ukyo picked herself up, as she wiped the tears from her eyes. Just what had she done? She never intended this but now people were going to suffer because of her and this time she had no scapegoat to pin it on.

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Ranma White returned to the dojo. After a tiring day of classes, he decided that company with Kasumi may just refresh his spirits. He had learnt enough from the school, at least he hoped it was enough, that would guarantee him a date with Kasumi. Although the Pumpkin Imagin was still an issue, he would only pursue it if it became an important issue. Such tasks should be left to peons like Momotaros.

Walking through the front door confidently, he entered the Tendo home. His princess was still on his mind as he looked for her. Non-surprisingly, he found her unpacking some groceries she had gotten.

"Hello again, Princess," Ranma White smiled as he greeted Kasumi.

"Oh!" Kasumi gasped before she turned to face Ranma White. A blush was quickly appearing on her face. "Um…hello, Sieg."

"You have been in the house all day, haven't you?" Ranma White asked before he looked to the bags of food. "Well, you've only left for shopping trips."

"Um….," Kasumi blushed. Why was she so shy? Well, it may have been Ranma's body, but Sieg was being such a gentleman. It was like her romance novels were coming true.

"Well, I will not let this stand," Sieg continued. "A woman such as you should be out enjoying life."

"Oh my," Kasumi blushed. "But I…"

"You can, Princess," Ranma White smiled as he took her hand. "Your family can survive without your cooking for one night. I believe it is called take-out. They can eat that tonight. You deserve to have tonight as your own."

"Oh my, oh my, oh my," Kasumi blushed brightly "Oh…I…Um….o..okay,"

"Wonderful!" Ranma White smiled brightly. "Then I shall await you at the 7th hour, tonight. This shall indeed be a night to remember."

With that, Ranma White strode from the room with his usual confidence. Kasumi just felt like her heart was beating at a mile a minute. She had a date. What was she going to wear?

---------------------------**DenLiner**------------------------------

"Nooooooo!!" Ryutaros cried before he started stomping his feet angrily. "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Poor Ryu-chan," Naomi sighed sadly as she watched Ryutaros throw a tantrum.

"I envy Sieg," Urataros chuckled. "Even with all my charms I couldn't get Kasumi-chan to go on a date with me."

"Who cares what the bird does," Momotaros grumbled. "He's doing it in Ranma's body! I want him outta there!"

"His strength would only make us cry," Kintaros responded with a snap of his neck.

Hana shook her head at the antics of the Imagin before looking concernedly over at Ryutaros. The purple Imagin was leaning over his table and looking very upset. She was also a bit worried about Ranma. Because it was Ranma's body Sieg was using to take Kasumi out on a date with, it would indeed cause a stir since, technically, Ranma was engaged to 3 women (actually, there were a lot of women judging by Genma's past actions) and adding Kasumi to the insanity didn't seem fair for her part. Kasumi wasn't a fighter. She was a kind and sweet young lady.

On the other hand, Kasumi was in her early twenties and was living the life of a housewife. She never even had the chance to really live her life before she had to take up the responsibilities of a mother. For someone to give up their whole life after their mother's death…it just seems so unfair. This could benefit Kasumi and if it worked may get Sieg out of everyone's hair. Momotaros didn't want him around because Sieg made him angry and Ryutaros didn't want him around because Sieg was going out with Kasumi. It was jealousy if you boil down to it.

Also, there was an evil Imagin on the loose and all Sieg cared about was dating Kasumi?

----------------------**Tendo Dojo**--------------------------------

Kasumi was fretting in her room over her clothes. She had a date in a few hours and she didn't know what she was going to wear! All she really had were housedresses, some sundresses and a bathing suit.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" Kasumi spoke worriedly to herself.

"I'd go with something that shows off your legs a little," a female voice spoke from behind.

Kasumi turned to see her little sister Nabiki watching with some mild amusement at Kasumi's predicament. The middle Tendo walked into Kasumi's room and shut the door behind her.

"So, finally accepted Sieg's offer, eh?" Nabiki smirked, finding the increasing blush on her sister's face amusing.

"Yes," Kasumi squeaked out embarrassedly.

"I figured as much," Nabiki nodded. She turned her gaze towards Kasumi's closet and frowned slightly when she saw all the plain clothes that her sister had collected. "Geez, Kasumi, this can't be everything you have."

"Um," Kasumi blushed. "This…this is really all I have left."

"No way," Nabiki frowned. "I know you still have that little number you got when me and Akane went with you clothes shopping last summer."

If it was possible, Kasumi's blush would have grown deeper. She tried to say something, but she couldn't form the words. Nabiki just went straight into her older sister's closet.

Normally, Nabiki wouldn't be so easy-going about her sister going out on a date. She would have done three background checks by now on the guy who was trying to take her sister out. As it was, Sieg was an Imagin and thus she couldn't get anything. To his credit though, Sieg seemed to be one of the real nobleman types. That would mean that he would treat her sister properly. Sure, Sieg and Kuno talked the same way, but unlike Kuno, who was as fickle as he was arrogant, Sieg was thoroughly snagged by Kasumi and didn't even so much as give other girls the kind of courtesy that he gave Kasumi.

There was the concern that Sieg was using Ranma's body so if the fiancée brigade saw them together, they might lose it. It would then come down to how committed Sieg was to Kasumi. Of course, if anything happened to Kasumi then Sieg's own existence would be at risk so Nabiki was certain that he would protect her.

"Found it!" Nabiki called from the closet, much to Kasumi's silent horror. "Sieg won't know what hit him!"

----------------------**Cat Café**--------------------

The Amazon run restaurant seemed to be peaceful for a change in the afternoon. The sounds of Shampoo flattening Mousse because of another stunt to try and win her over couldn't be heard. The sounds of Shampoo plotting to win Ranma over couldn't be heard either. Even the amused cackle of Cologne was strangely absent.

Of course, this was Nerima. There was more than meet the eyes in this place….

CRASH!!

"AIYAH!!"

BOOM!

"BEGONE, DEMON!!"

WHAM!!

"STUPID MOUSSE! THAT OVEN!!

The familiar sounds of combat suddenly erupted with the first crash coming from the back of the building. The combat sounds continued erupting as what seemed like Shampoo and Mousse both fighting whatever had arrived.

The crashing continued until the front of the building literally exploded as a pumpkin on a chain smashed through the wall like a wrecking ball. The body of the Pumpkin Imagin followed, cackling wildly. As it got outside, Shampoo and Mousse followed it.

"Mean demon pick wrong place to cause trouble!" Shampoo snarled as she held her bonborri.

"We shall teach you for trespassing!" Mousse bellowed, trying to sound impressive to Shampoo. His glasses were cracked, which cu his usefulness in battle in half.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" the Pumpkin Imagin crowed as it reattached its head. "As much fun as that sounds, I have other things to do. Bye-bye."

The Pumpkin Imagin hen began roof hopping away from the battle, vanishing in a flash of light. Both young Amazons felt pride at having driven off the 'demon'.

"Aiyah!" Shampoo cheered. "We win!"

"We make a lovely team, Shampoo!" Mousse cried trying to have Shampoo see things his way already.

WHACK!

"Ow!" both young Amazons cried.

"You both are truly blind," Cologne sighed as she landed on the ground after whacking her two wards over the head with her cane. "You did not drive it off. It completed what it came to do."

"What great-grandmother mean?" asked Shampoo.

"Look," Cologne sighed as she pointed to the remains of the restaurant.

Tables were destroyed and chairs were shattered. Holes were in the walls while sections of the floor were either torn up or missing. The kitchen looked like a war zone. The stove was a complete loss thanks to Mousse's habit of not wearing his glasses as much as possible and food was strewn across the floor. The freezer was gutted as well.

"That creature came to make sure the Cat Café was unable to do business," Cologne frowned. "And thanks to you two, jumping into things without looking as usual, it has succeeded quite fantastically."

Shampoo and Mousse seemed both shocked and ashamed at the revelation. They were going to pay for this, they could tell.

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Ranma White checked himself in the mirror. Thanks to the other Imagin, Ranma's wardrobe had gained a lot more variety. He detested the tastes of both Ryutaros and Momotaros while quirking an eyebrow at all of Kintaros' clothes. The only one of them who had a good taste in clothing was Urataros himself.

Ranma White looked himself over in the mirror. He had taken one of Urataros' suits which he felt suited him best. It was mainly white with a sapphire blue tie. Satisfied that his appearance was befitting his plans for the night, Ranma White walked out of his room. He looked at a wall clock and saw that it was five minutes until 7:00. He would have to pick up Kasumi. Hopefully she would be ready. Then again, to Ranma White, she was already stunning so it didn't matter how she decided to dress for the event.

"Princess?" Ranma White asked as he knocked on her door. "Are you ready?"

The door instantly opened to reveal Nabiki's smirking face.

"Kasumi will be out in a minute," she smiled. "I'll run interference so Daddy and Akane don't find out."

"Very well," Ranma White nodded. "I do not wish to raise unnecessary conflict because of this."

"Don't we all," Nabiki sighed, knowing all too well her father and little sister's habit of overreacting to everything. "You'd better treat my sister right though or I will find a way to make you regret it."

"I will treat her as nothing less than the princess that she is," Ranma White replied calmly.

"Good," Nabiki nodded. "Bring her back safely."

Ranma White nodded as Nabiki left to distract her father and little sister. He returned his gaze to Kasumi's room and felt his eyes widen at the shock.

Kasumi stood in front of him in a nice black dress which came to a stop just above her knees. It rested on her shoulders by just two straps which left her shoulders bare. Her hair was untied and flowing freely down her back. Kasumi was even wearing make-up for the occasion. She was blushing brightly though.

"Princess, you truly honor me with your beauty," Ranma White smiled.

Kasumi just blushed even brighter. "Thank you, Sieg,"

"Come, let us go," Ranma White said as he took Kasumi's hand in his and headed towards the door. Tonight would be a night that Kasumi would remember.

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Ukyo was in her room, waiting in despair as she thought of the destruction the Pumpkin Imagin was causing. In a flash of light, the monster came to report its progress, despite Ukyo's hatred for its acts.

"If it would please you, the Cat Café is now out of business," the Pumpkin Imagin grinned. Ukyo looked up to stare.

"What?" Ukyo asked.

"That Chinese place that sells ramen," it clarified, "Of course, I didn't have to do everything. Those two fools did all the work for me when they fought me inside." It chuckled. "Well, I'm off to do some more carnage. Stay here where I can find you." In another bright flash of light it vanished.

Ukyo hugged her knees to her chest and muttered, "What have I done?"

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Nabiki was able to pull a few strings as a limousine pulled up in front of the Tendo Dojo. Kasumi gasped in shock at the vehicle as Ranma White leaned forward and opened the door for her, "After you, Princess."

"Oh my," Kasumi let out as she entered followed by Sieg.

"Chauffeur," Ranma White began, "Please, take us to the finest place of dining that you can find in town."

"You got it, boss," the chauffeur said. He had been paid a huge sum of money to just go along with his passenger's wishes.

"How did you afford all this?" Kasumi asked the possessed martial artist.

"The blue one and Nabiki's schemes have accumulated a lot of wealth, Princess," Ranma White told her. "As such, Ranma also receives a cut because it is his body being used. With this, I can afford to take you out on this fine date." He smiled at her and the older girl blushed.

"Oh, Sieg," Kasumi began, "Have you heard the news? Some of the restaurants around are out of business. They way it was because they were attacked by a monster."

"A monster, you say?" Ranma White asked, "Must be the pumpkin-headed fiend."

"Pumpkin-headed fiend?" Kasumi asked in curiosity.

"Yes," Ranma White nodded. "He appeared at school earlier and we did battle. However, he fled before the battle could reach its conclusion. It matters not. We shall find him again."

"Oh my," Kasumi fretted.

"Enough about the dregs of war," Ranma White sighed dramatically. "Tonight is your night, Princess. I am your escort to ensure you enjoy yourself."

"Thank you," Kasumi smiled with a blush on her face.

Kasumi relaxed in her seat as the limo drove through Nerima. The eldest Tendo was feeling absolutely spoiled. She never imagined that anyone would spend the kind of money needed to rent a limo on her. It made her feel like a real princess.

"I have already decided on a wonderful place to take you to," Ranma White smiled.

"Really?" Kasumi wondered. "Where?"

"Ah, ah, ah," Ranma White smiled. "That would be telling. I prefer to surprise you."

"Oh, Sieg," Kasumi giggled. Kasumi amusedly reminded herself that she would have to be careful or else her Imagin was going to spoil her rotten.

The limo pulled up to a French restaurant. It was one of the only good places left in Nerima. Ranma White stepped out of the limo after the driver let him out. The possessed young man held out his hand and helped Kasumi out of the vehicle. The eldest Tendo gasped in delight as she saw the nice place in front of her. Ranma White didn't hesitate in leading Kasumi inside. They were immediately led to a table with no waiting. Ranma White only dropped Nabiki's name and everyone was at his beck and call.

"Wonderful service," Ranma White nodded approvingly.

"How nice," Kasumi smiled brightly.

A waiter came with their menus and Ranma White read through it. Normally, Ranma would have nearly no knowledge of French cuisine or French wine, but Ranma White was a whole other story. As a prince, he needed to be refined not just for himself but for the company he would share.

"Would you like some champagne, Princess?" Ranma White asked.

"Oh, no," Kasumi declined, "I cannot drink, Sieg. I have low alcohol tolerance."

Ranma White nodded, "I see." He turned towards the waiter, "How about a bottle of your finest grape juice then? Chilled, please? When you return we will be ready to order."

"Thank you, sir," the waiter said before leaving to get the juice.

"How do you feel right now, Princess?" Ranma White asked.

Kasumi blushed, "This is, well, just too much for me. I've never gone out to places like this. Sieg, how did you know about this restaurant?"

"Nabiki has very good sources," Ranma White replied, honestly, "She was the one who suggested this place."

"I see," Kasumi nodded.

"Order whatever it is you want," Ranma White said. "And don't worry about the cost."

"Oh I couldn't!" Kasumi protested. "All this must be so expensive. I don't want to take all your money."

"Be at ease Princess," Ranma White replied casually. "I have more than adequate funds to pay for this evening. So please relax and enjoy yourself."

"If you're sure?" Kasumi asked hesitantly.

"I am," Ranma White confirmed.

"All right then," Kasumi nodded before she allowed herself to relax again.

So began the night for the pair as they had simple conversation as they ate. Both ordered something filling, yet simple at the same time. For Ranma White, he had to remain refined at all times. In Kasumi's case, she didn't want to hurt Ranma White's funds too badly.

Kasumi had to admit that she was having a wonderful time. She didn't get out of the house very often save for the market or the occasional trip to the beach or some other place. She didn't get to go out to nice places like this at all. Everywhere was either a general tourist spot or had an underlining theme of martial arts. As much as she loved her family and the legacy her father created, she wouldn't say no to something that didn't involve martial arts. A night like tonight was just what she needed.

Ranma White was likewise enjoying himself. Kasumi was wonderful company and such a gentle soul which he couldn't help but admire. She sacrificed her future to take care of her family and no one seemed to thank her for it. A grave injustice in the princely Imagin's view. At least his host was beginning to appreciate her actions more, especially after he included her into his hidden life as Den-O.

As they were both taking some finishing bites on their meals screaming began to erupt from the back of the restaurant. Ranma White was immediately up to his feet, ready to protect his princess from harm.

He didn't have to wait long as the chefs and other waiters began running from the kitchen screaming. At their heels was a mob of rats which brought out even more screams from the guests.

"Sieg!" Kasumi cried in fear as she brought her legs to her chest as she sat in her chair.

"Fear not!" Ranam White frowned as he planted himself in front of Kasumi so to protect her from the rats should they prove hostile.

The rats seemed just as afraid of whatever was in the kitchen as the people who vacated it were. This was obvious since the rats had gone straight to the front door. It was what followed the rats that rose Ranma White's ire.

"Aha ha ha ha ha ha!" the Pumpkin Imagin laughed as he came waltzing out of the kitchens. "Look at them run!"

"You again!" Sieg frowned angrily.

"Huh?" the Pumpkin Imagin grunted as he turned to see Ranma White. Upon seeing the possessed boy, the Pumpkin Imagin began getting angry. "You again?!"

"I can forgive the first trespass," Ranma White frowned as he stepped forward. "But I will not forgive this crime of interrupting my night with my princess!"

"So what do you plan to do about it?!" the Pumpkin Imagin roared, summoning its scythe.

Ranma White frowned as the Terminal Belt appeared, flying through the air and attaching itself to his waist. The golden buckle was still on it. When it was secured, it began playing the same song as from the school. Kasumi found the tune to be alluring and beautiful. Ranma White then held up the Hyper Pass.

"I shall punish you for your actions!" Ranma White growled. "Henshin!"

"**Wing Form!**" the buckle called as Ranma White passed the pass over the buckle.

Kasumi watched in awe as the basic armor appeared over Ranma White, only this version was gold in several places. Then the black and white armor attached to him before the swan rolled down his face and folded in, leaving the wings as his visor.

"Advent," Den-O WF spoke as he raised his hand in the air while feathers fluttered down out of nowhere, "At the top of everything."

"Time to finish what we started," the Pumpkin Imagin growled as it prepared to strike.

"I agree," Den-O WF nodded as he combined his pieces of DenGasher to create the boomerang and hand axe.

Kasumi watched in wonder at the marvelous transformation which Ranma White undertook. She had compared Sieg to a prince, but right now he seemed more like a knight in shining armor that the stories from abroad would talk about. She was so lucky!

The Pumpkin Imagin and Den-O WF charged at each other before unleashing a flurry of blows at each other. Den-O WF had a slight advantage because he had the smaller weapons, and in an enclosed space like the restaurant they were in, a compact weapon made all the difference.

The Pumpkin Imagin took several strikes before it decided to take things to a different battle area. He grabbed Den-O WF and gave a mighty heave which sent them both through the front doors of the restaurant and into the street. Den-O WF recovered quickly before using more slashes to try and defeat his opponent. The Pumpkin Imagin had more space to move and was easily able to avoid the attacks. Leaping back, it began taking stock of the situation.

"Sieg!" came Kasumi's voice.

The eldest Tendo appeared out of the restaurant, concerned for both her Imagin and the boy he was possessing.

"Princess, it isn't safe!" Den-O WF cried.

"What do we have here!" the Pumpkin Imagin snickered. Flames started appearing in its eyes. "An opportunity!"

The Pumpkin Imagin gripped its head and threw its chained head at the young woman.

"Princess!" Den-O WF cried as he charged to intercept the attack.

Kasumi screamed in terror as the flaming pumpkin came at her. Her legs froze as the fireball came at her. She didn't even notice her white knight intercepting the blow until he had actually taken it himself. To his credit, Den-O WF didn't cry out in pain, but his legs failed as he dropped to his knees from the pain.

"Woo-hoo!" the Pumpkin Imagin crowed. "This was the last place better than Ucchan's! Contract complete!"

The Pumpkin Imagin left cackling with leaps over rooftops. Den-O WF struggled to get up while he was breathing heavily.

"Sieg!" Kasumi cried in concern. "Are you and Ranma alright?"

"We are fine, Princess," Den-O WF huffed as he stood up. "Are you unharmed?"

"I'm fine, but you need to rest!" Kasumi cried. "You took such an awful blow for me."

"Ranma's body is a sturdy one and I am just as hardy if not more so," Den-O WF breathed, catching his breath. "We will recover quickly."

"But," Kasumi tried to protest.

"We will be fine, Princess," Den-O WF interrupted. "However, we need to get to Ucchan's lest the Imagin escape to the past. I will not forgive the crime of attacking my princess!"

Den-O WF turned his gaze to down the street before making a quick whistling noise. A roaring engine was the reply before the DenBird came roaring down the street. It came to a stop in front of the two before coming to a stop. Den-O WF quickly mounted the motorcycle.

"Please return home safely," Den-O WF spoke.

Kasumi nodded worriedly before Den-O WF drove off after the Imagin. The eldest Tendo felt her heart fill with worry as she watched him leave. She could only pray that both Sieg and Ranma would come back safely. Both had become such an important part of her life and she didn't want to see either of them taken away.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ukyo was in too much distress to even consider making okonomiyaki to calm herself down. Konatsu had tried to learn what was wrong but Ukyo was being tight-lipped about it. She accepted that this was her shame to burden and it was a burden she would bear alone. She could only pray that no one was seriously injured.

"Hello!" a familiar voice which would haunt Ukyo's dreams spoke up.

Ukyo turned to face the source of the voice and found herself looking at the Pumpkin Imagin. The ever-present grin was still plastered on its face as it sauntered into Ucchan's.

"What do you want?" Ukyo hissed angrily.

"Oh, now don't be that way," the Pumpkin Imagin laughed. "Why you're the best chef in Nerima now. There is no one else in the district that is better than you."

"That's because you wiped out the competition!" Ukyo cried, stomping up to the Imagin.

"You never specified the means in which to grant your wish," the Pumpkin Imagin shrugged. "But that's beside the point. The contract is complete so I will take what is my due."

The Pumpkin Imagin stared into Ukyo's eyes before tapping her with its scythe. Her body split down the middle as a green vortex appeared inside of her. The Imagin snickered in victory and was about to enter when the roar of an engine echoed through the air. It stopped for a brief moment before the door slammed open to reveal Den-O WF.

"Halt!" the white warrior cried angrily.

"Too late!" the Pumpkin Imagin chuckled as it leaped into the portal before it closed.

"Unn," Ukyo moaned before collapsing to the floor.

Den-O WF was quick to catch her. He wanted to blame her for what the Pumpkin Imagin did, but he knew that she was not responsible for what the Imagin did. Instead of getting angry, the retrieved a blank ticket and held it out to her forehead. The image of the Pumpkin Imagin appeared on it with the date. May 12th 1997.

"Miss," Den-O WF spoke to Ukyo, getting her out of her daze. He held the ticket for Ukyo to see. "What happened on this date?"

"That," Ukyo gasped as she recognized the date. "That's the day my fiancée's father stole my family yattai and abandoned me even though his son and I were engaged!"

-------------**Flashback**-----------------

_The dirt was flying as Genma Saotome was running as fast as he could. He was pulling an okonomiyaki yattai along with him that he had 'acquired' through engaging his son to the former owner's daughter. Of course, Genma had no intention of following through with the agreement. His son was engaged to his best friend's daughter and he had a dojo he could give for a dowry. The perfect thing for his early retirement. All he had to do was make Ranma into the best and he would be set._

_"Bye-bye, Ucchan!" a six-year old Ranma called from his seat on top of the okonomiyaki cart._

_The reason for Genma's running was two fold. As part of the agreement, Genma had to take Ukyo with him when he and Ranam continued their journey. If Mr. Kuonji found out that he left without Ukyo then there would be hell to play. The man was pretty strong in his own right and Genma did not want to get on the wrong side of the man. The other reason for his running? The daughter of the man he was running from had caught them making an escape._

_"You said you'd take me with you!" Ukyo cried. "Wait!"_

_Genma just began to run faster. He had lucked out when Ranma was tricked into thinking that Ukyo was a boy. If Ukyo came along then Ranma would figure her out and possibly get closer. That wouldn't do. Ranma had to fall in love with a Tendo girl and this other girl would get in the way. So, she had to go. Thus, Genma began to run faster._

_"JEEEEEERRRRRKS!!" Ukyo cried as she began vanishing on the horizon._

---------------**End Flashback**----------------

"It wasn't fair!" Ukyo cried, tears showing in her eyes. "He engaged me to Ranma and then runs off to get him hitched to someone else! Ranma's my fiancé so why won't he accept me?"

"That I cannot answer," Den-O WF sighed. He truly felt sorry for the young woman, but that was nothing for Ranma, who was being forced to witness the event. He knew that Ukyo was really unhappy about the situation, but he had no idea that it was hurting her like that. Reliving the pain must not be pleasant.

Den-O WF then turned to face the door and opened it to reach DenLiner. He had an Imagin to hunt down.

----------------**May 12th 1997**-----------------

A 6-year old Ukyo stood crying in the middle of the dirt road. Her fiance and his father had just abandoned her and stole the family yattai. It wasn't fair! When her father told her that she was engaged to Ranma, she thought that it was a dream come true. She thought Ranma was really cool and he was really good at fighting. He seemed a little off in the manners department, but she thought that she could teach him since they would be married. Now it seemed that wasn't going to happen. How could he abandon her like that?

As she was crying, sand began to fall from her sleeves and shorts. It began collecting before it combined to become the Pumpkin Imagin. Ukyo noticed the sudden appearance of the Imagin and her tears were replaced by screams.

"That's it, you little hypocrite!" the Pumpkin Imagin laughed. "Run away!"

Ukyo ran away in her tears and screams, just wanting to get away from the monster. She could barely see where she was going so it was understandable when she ran into someone. Wiping her eyes, she looked up to see a man wearing some white and gold armor with a strange blue visor on his face. The man looked down to Ukyo almost questioningly.

"You better find a place to hide, young one," Den-O WF warned the little girl. "Things will get violent."

"'Kay, mister," Chibi-Ukyo sniffled before she ran behind a nearby tree.

Den-O WF then turned to face the Pumpkin Imagin, "We meet for the last time, fiend."

"Oh, that is for sure," the Pumpkin Imagin growled as he raised his scythe.

Both warriors charged each other. Den-O WF gripped both his boomerang and hand-axe and swung at the Imagin. Weapons clashed, causing sparks to fly. Den-O WF dodged when the scythe came dangerously close to his person before he slashed with his axe. The Pumpkin Imagin staggered back and then snickered as it grabbed its head and threw it with the chain. Den-O WF ducked as the head came flying. Swinging the chain again, the Imagin threw it straight towards the tree Ukyo was hiding behind.

Ukyo let out a scream as the flaming and laughing head of the Pumpkin Imagin came hurling towards her.

"NO!" Den-O WF shouted before he rushed towards her. He grabbed the girl and leapt out of the way as the Pumpkin Imagin's head smashed the tree to pieces.

"Can you fight me and protect her at the same time?" the Pumpkin Imagin cackled. "I guess not!" The Pumpkin Imagin reattached its head to its shoulders and charged at Den-O WF. Den-O WF blocked with his hand axe but one arm was around little Ukyo protectively so he couldn't use his full strength as the scythe pushed down on him. The tip was close to his face and Ukyo cried.

"I…shall…not…LOSE!" Den-O WF exclaimed before his wings sprang out behind him. The Pumpkin Imagin was surprised and was pushed back by the wings. Ukyo watched as the wings spread out wide behind Den-O WF with shining white feathers fluttering from them.

"So pretty," she let out. Den-O WF smiled as he put her down.

"To hurt this child is unforgivable," Den-O WF said as he pointed at the Imagin.

"Save it for someone who cares!" the Imagin roared as it threw its head at Den-O WF. This time he was prepared as he threw his boomerang at the same time. It flew threw the air and then broke the chain as it sliced through it. The Imagin's head hit a tree and bounced off before rolling to a stop. The body now moved erratically as it attempted to find its missing head.

"Over here!" the Pumpkin Imagin's head shouted. The body went on its hands and knees to look. "No! Over here, you idiot!" Ukyo giggled at how ridiculous the Imagin was acting.

Den-O WF walked forward and picked up the head.

"Put me down!" the Pumpkin Imagin demanded.

"Gladly," Den-O WF nodded. He then threw the head into the air, "Catch!" The Pumpkin Imagin's head screamed as it sailed threw the air. The body ran around to catch it when it fell.

Den-O WF held both weapons in one hand before he revealed the Hyper Pass. "Now, to finish this." He held the Pass in front of his belt.

"**Full Charge!**" the belt announced as the energy traveled from it into both Den-O WF's weapons. His wings spread out once more as he took flight. Little Ukyo watched as he flew into the skies.

"An angel," she mumbled in awe.

Den-O WF had his arms crossed in front of him as he flapped his wings to keep aloft. He looked down at the Pumpkin Imagin who was still struggling with its detached head. It managed to pick it up anyway. Den-O WF reared back his hand which held the boomerang while the bladed end was glowing white. With a single motion, he threw the weapon down at the target with ruthless accuracy. The Pumpkin Imagin couldn't manage to pull itself together before the weapon slashed straight through it, leaving a large gash in it which was releasing white light.

"Hup!" Den-O WF grunted as he went into a dive straight at the Pumpkin Imagin. The hand axe was clutched in his hand with the blade glowing brightly. While the Pumpkin Imagin struggled to stay on its feet, it looked up to the sky only to have Den-O WF in its face. There was a loud slash sound before Den-O WF landed on the ground with his wings folding back while he caught the boomerang.

"AAAGGGHHH!!" the Pumpkin Imagin cried as the large gash of white light appeared around the Imagin. It then fell to the ground before erupting in a large explosion.

"Cool!" Little Ukyo smiled brightly.

Den-O WF slowly stood up as he turned to look at the flaming remains of his opponent, an unworthy opponent in the end. Of course, that may not be the case soon.

Sand began to erupt from the explosion site and Den-O WF tensed, ready for the battle to continue. The sand reformed into a large pumpkin with a wicked face and a single evil eye. Thick green vines were holding it up.

"Ahhhhh!!" Little Ukyo cried in fear as she backpedaled away. Where did all these monsters come from?!

The tune of DenLiner Gouka cut through the air as the familiar red and white train appeared through a portal. The red train swerved to avoid the thrashing vines of the Pumpkin Gigandeath as it tried to take the train down.

"A mighty vehicle," Den-O WF acknowledged. "But it will require something to make it a truly worthy one."

As he spoke, the tune that announced Wing Form began echoing through the air. A new portal opened before a brand new train entered the fray. The new train was white with a golden trim. The front almost looked like a horse's head. It looked as if it was some kind of steed which was geared for war. This was the newest addition to the arsenal of DenLiner, Grani!

"Now this is a worthy vehicle," Den-O WF spoke approvingly.

Its top hatch opened to allow Den-O WF to land inside and on the DenBird. Grani and Gouka began racing side by side before their tracks converged with Grani in the lead. Gouka then linked up with the white train from behind.

The Pumpkin Imagin roared before lashing out with vines. The train proved to be more agile than it looked as it swerved to avoid the attacks quite gracefully.

"For Kasumi!" Den-O WF announced as he activated Grani's weapon systems. A pair of white wings sprouted out of the train, flanking it. On the underside of the wings were arrow launchers. The four weapon chambers of Gouka likewise opened to reveal their various weapons.

The Pumpkin Gigandeath lashed out with its vines, its single eye trained on the approaching white time train. The tracks generated around the beast and the wings slashed at the vines. The Gigandeath howled in pain before firing large balls from its mouth in rapid succession. The attack was unexpected for the pilot of the trains

"Time to take it to the air," Den-O WF shouted as he steered.

Grani flew off the tracks and into the air. Seeing the winged train fly through the air looked almost like a majestic bird with a long tail or perhaps the Pegasus. Nevertheless, it flew out of range and fired the arrows from under its wings. They pierced through the tough hide of the monstrous pumpkin. It howled in pain.

"Time to finish this," Den-O WF said as Grani flew straight towards the Gigandeath. The wings glowed and sharpened into blades before slicing the Pumpkin Gigandeath cleanly in half like a hot knife through butter. It let out one last roar before it exploded in an even larger ball of fire than the one before.

Den-O WF normally would have left the timeline then and there, but with a small child still on the ground, he had to make sure that she was safe. So, he leaped from the Grani and down to the ground.

He didn't have to wait long before the small girl latched herself to his leg crying loudly.

"You came back!" she sobbed. "You didn't leave me like Ranma did!"

'_Oh crap!_' Ranma groaned from within. '_That's right! This is when Pop stole her family yattai and cheated her out of the engagement promise.'_

Den-O WF may have been a lot of things, but heartless he was not. He recalled all the memories that Ranma had about Ukyo when she came back into Ranma's life. As much as he knew he shouldn't, the timeline was already changed slightly. What was a little more?

"There, there, young one," Den-O WF spoke softly as he patted Little Ukyo's head. "Ranma didn't abandon you."

"Then why did he leave?" asked Little Ukyo. "We were supposed to get married!"

"Simple," Den-O WF shrugged. "He didn't know about the engagement."

"He didn't?" Little Ukyo sniffed.

"No," Den-O WF replied. "His father didn't tell him."

"Oh," Little Ukyo blinked as she rubbed her eyes. "'Kay. Then I had better go find him and tell him."

With that, Little Ukyo was off like a shot down the road back to wherever she lived. Den-O WF watched her go before the DenLiner pulled up behind him. He boarded swiftly before the train took off through a portal again.

-----------------------------**DenLiner-----------------------------------**

"Mission accomplished," Sieg stated proudly as he and Ranma walked into the dining car.

"About time!" Momotaros snapped. "You took all the fun!"

"The cretin had to be punished for threatening Princess and the child," Sieg replied stiffly.

Momotaros growled angrily and was feeling a huge urge to pound the Imagin in front if him, but held back knowing that he would only be shrunk again.

"Okay, calm down, guys," Ranma sighed tiredly. The suit he was stuffed in made him feel a little uncomfortable and he wanted out of it. "The Imagin is gone so we can all relax. Kami knows I need it."

"Can we kick the birdie out yet?" Ryutaros asked impatiently. "He got a date with Nee-chan so he can go now, right?"

"Leave?" asked Sieg almost incredulously. "I think not."

"EH?!" the four Imagin and three humans listening to the conversation gaped.

"Princess wished for someone to sweep her off her feet," Sieg explained. "I may have gotten her out on a date, but I don't think I have truly swept her off her feet. I believe I shall remain for a while."

"Awwww!" Ryutaros whined as he began to sulk again.

"Quite the clever one," Urataros snickered

All at once there was the tapping of a cane. Everyone turned to the source and saw Owner sitting at his booth with a blank look on his face.

"Sieg," he spoke seriously. "Due to your actions in the past with Ukyo Kuonji, the timeline has been altered."

"Altered?" asked Hana almost fearfully. "Altered how?"

"Now that Ukyo Kuonji knows that Ranma had no idea about the engagement, her arrival in Nerima was met with less conflict," Owner explained. "On the day she arrived, she met with Ranma and explained everything. Genma Saotome was met with violence after this explanation."

"Well, that's better than what happened before," Ranma shrugged. "Doesn't fix my fiancée problem, though."

"No," Owner agreed. "However, now Ukyo acts as much as a friend as she does a fiancée. The events in which she tries to win your hand still happened but she now has more reason to listen to you."

"So in all, nothing changes," Ranma sighed. "At least the timeline is safe."

"Indeed," Owner nodded. "For better or worse, the timeline must be protected."

The other passengers on the train gazed at Ranma with some hidden pity. Ranma's life was sheer hell for the longest time. DenLiner was his chance to try and change that, but his duty as Den-O prevented that. Sometimes life just wasn't fair.

-----------------**Tendo Dojo**------------------

Ranma sighed as he entered the dojo. After a stressful day of having Sieg in control of his body, the pigtailed martial artist just wanted to get some rest. That and get out of the suit Sieg had put him in.

As he was heading for his room, Nabiki caught him.

"Nice to see you're in one piece Ranma," Nabiki greeted. "Can I assume that you and Sieg won?"

"Yeah," Ranma sighed. "I just really need some sleep. Having five Imagin inside of you wears a guy down after a while."

"I can imagine," Nabiki smirked, using the word 'imagine' on purpose. She then got a gleam in her eyes. "Oh, I have god news. I figured out a name to stick with Den-O."

"Oh?" Ranma asked now slightly interested.

"Yeah. Since you wear a mask in all forms and ride a motorcycle and/or a train, I decided to call you Kamen Rider Den-O," Nabiki explained.

"Kamen Rider Den-O," Ranma repeated, testing the name. "Well, it definitely works. I think it will stick."

"Of course it will," Nabiki chuckled. "Now if only there were more of you, profits would soar."

"Right," Ranma laughed. "As if. How many more time-traveling trains could there be?"

-------------------------**Elsewhere**------------------------------

The Pig Imagin couldn't believe its luck as it charged down the streets. When the Pumpkin Imagin was running around burning places down, no one even noticed the Pig Imagin breaking into zoos and trying to find a certain panda. Some sick kid wished for a panda that could talk by using signs and so the contract was made.

"This will be the easiest job ever!" the Pig Imagin laughed. "Den-O is none the wiser either! I'm home free!"

"Are you so sure about that?" a new voice asked.

The Pig Imagin quickly turned to see who had spoke. He could see someone at the end of the street. The night was blocking any of his features from being seen, but he was still visible to an extent.

"Who are you?" the Pig Imagin growled, ready for a fight.

"Me?" the male at the end of the street asked. "I'm the hero, Zero!"

The young man reached to his belt and pulled out something small before touching his belt. A strange flute tune could be heard coming from it as he brought the small item back.

"Henshin!" the male called before slipping the small object into his belt.

"**Altair Form!**"

To Be Continued…

A/N: There he is folks. Sieg is here to stay. He even has his own DenLiner train to help Ranma and the others fight off other Imagim. If you can't figure who this myster boy at the end is then you need to watch more Den-O.


	11. Family Bonds

I do not own Kamen Rider Den-O or any of the connected characters. The same could be said for Ranma ½. Any connected characters I do not own. The only things I own are the OCs that will be showing up. I also wish to thank Alienyouthct for Tamamos.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 11: Family Bonds.

"**Full Charge!**"

The shrouded figure held his sword at his side and pulled something out of his belt. He then took it and seemed to insert it into his weapon. Streams of green energy burst from the object in his hand and into the sword.

Several feet in front of him, there was an Imagin which resembled a pig that looked rather beaten up. It was struggling to stand as it was faced with this mysterious fighter.

"Who...who are you?" the Pig Imagin groaned as it shakily got back up to its feet.

"I told you," the mysterious figure answered as the blade of his sword began to glow brightly. "I'm the hero, Zero!"

The unknown figure then gripped the handle of his sword and swung it at the Pig Imagin. From the blade of the sword, a blast of energy which looked like a capital 'A' flew through the air. The strike collided with the Pig Imagin with a loud crash. The image of the 'A' was imprinted on the Pig Imagin's chest before it fell backwards. As it landed on the ground, it exploded in a fiery haze.

"Whew," the figure sighed as he took a relaxed stance. He reached to his sword and pulled out what he had used for his Full Charge. There was a slight hissing sound as it appeared that the small item had turned to sand and dissolved. He then reached down to his waist and removed what looked like a belt. There was a flash of green light before the figure's body shape changed. Instead of a streamlined body which looked like it was covered in armor, the figure now looked like he was wearing slightly loose clothes.

"Well, that's one more we won't have to worry about," the figure, obviously male, shrugged.

"Onii-chan!" a younger female voice cried out.

The male figure turned around to see two people were running towards them. The smaller one seemed to be a child with a small ponytail. The taller one didn't look entirely human. The figure looked like it had some extra armor and animal ears on the top of its head.

"Onii-chan!" the little girl called out to the male one. "Did you get him?"

"I got him, Imouto," the male figure nodded. "Now what are you doing out here? It's bedtime, you know."

"I can't sleep," the little girl protested. "I'm excited to see Papa again."

"Well, we're going to see him tomorrow," the male figure chuckled. "I think he's going to be surprised."

"I'd say he will," the non-human figure spoke with a slightly purring voice.

"Right," the male figure nodded. "Now, it's bedtime, Ranko."

"Awwww," the little girl groaned.

The three figures began walking towards the road while talking. As they got closer, a loud horn echoed through the night before a train appeared through a portal. The lead car was black with a green bull head with yellow horns on the front. There was a second car with a yellow falcon head on the front.

The three figures walked up to the train before getting on the second car through a door on the side. When they were in, the train let off another loud honk before chugging off through another portal and vanished into the night.

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Ranma was having a usual day. For him, that involved being attacked by a rival for no reason beyond over some girl. Today, it was Mousse attacking him for 'trying to wed his Shampoo'. Apparently Shampoo and Cologne hadn't bothered to inform him why they had Ranma wrapped in metal cable in the Cat Café.

There was the usual fiancée spat when Ukyo tried to give him lunch when Kodachi jumped into the fray. Of course, Akane saw this and tried to mallet him again. Her new mallet didn't get destroyed for a change, but she didn't hit Ranma either. Urataros saw to that. Of course, he normally would flirt with the girls to calm them down, but given what he knew of Kodachi, that might make the situation worse.

"Today's been pretty quiet," Ranma commented to himself as he walked home from school. Akane was still mad at him for 'encouraging' the fiancées to keep fighting over him.

'_This is quiet for you?_' asked Ryutaros curiously. '_But today looked like a lot of fun, Nii-chan! Why didn't you let me play?_'

'_I found that Kodachi-san seemed a little more determined to receive your affections today, Ranma,_' Urataros observed.

"Yeah, well," Ranma sighed. "I guess the Kunos aren't used to getting 'no' for an answer. They just ignore it and try harder. It sure explains why Kuno started using dirty tricks. I've never told Kodachi no to her face so hearing Momotaros say it for me makes her more determined."

'_Her mental state is troublesome,_' Kintaros commented stoically.

'_She's a freakin' psycho is what she is! _'Momotaros snapped. '_Her laugh drives me nuts! She acts like she's the queen of the world or something!_'

Ranma agreed with his four Imagin friends. They each had their own opinions on the various people who were part of Ranma's life. Momotaros had found the rivals to be entertaining since he got to fight, but he fiancées were a bunch of nags in his opinion who needed to back off. Urataros found the rivals annoying since they attacked Ranma for either talking to the girl they were after or some other girl. The fiancées were just four girls among many whom Urataros could spend time with. Kintaros found the challenge from the rivals invigorating, but the fiancées were people he considered selfish and in need of maturity. Ryutaros just thought that they were all a bunch of meanies. That was okay though; Kasumi didn't scold him for hurting meanies.

As Ranma was walking, he didn't notice that someone was following him. Since this person had no ill intent or romantic interest towards him, Ranma didn't pick them on his radar.

Even if they didn't have any ill intent, Ranma still wouldn't know what was going to hit him.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nabiki was counting some yen notes as she leaned against the surrounding wall of Furinkan. She had some deals to work out. The information packages were still selling like crazy. A number of students were also asking for posters and other things. She would have to speed up production on them if she wanted to keep up.

Finding that no one else demanded her attention at school for the day, she began her own journey home. Besides, Ranma Purple was probably dancing in the dojo by now. The dance club loved the tapes she made of his moves. Of course, since it was the girls of the club who asked for it, the tapes may not have been solely for checking out his moves.

As she was walking, the usual sounds of chaos could be heard erupting a short distance away. The Fiancée Brigade probably caught up with Ranma again. She could hear them shouting out their demands for Ranma's attention as usual.

"Come away with me, Ranma-sama!" Kodachi.

"Ranchan! Eat at my place!" Ukyo.

"Shampoo save you from evil spirits!" Shampoo.

Nabiki shook her head. The fiancées still hadn't gotten the clue that their usual methods of eliminating the competition weren't working. Ranma's indecision in the past may have been responsible for this before, but the girls' tempers and habits of jumping to conclusions sure didn't help. It was profitable, true, but it was problematic at times too. Nabiki thought with Momotaros and the others going against them the girls might get a clue. No such luck.

"GET AWAY FROM ME, YOU PSYCHOS!"

Nabiki blinked. Now that wasn't Ranma's voice. It didn't sound like any of the Imagin either. Urataros and Kintaros didn't panic like that. Momotaros would be more angry than irritated. Ryutaros would actually be fighting back. Was this a new Imagin? As if five weren't enough? Well, technically four but Sieg was able to possess Ranma as if he was contracted to him rather than Kasumi.

The sounds of missed blows hitting concrete or pavement came closer, signaling that the Fiancée Brigade was coming closer to her position as they chased Ranma and trying to eliminate each other.

Nabiki waited for the chase to come her way before she noticed a male about her age run around the corner looking rather irritated and panicked at the same time.

At first Nabiki mistook him as Ranma, but when she got a closer look, she found that she was mistaken. While the resemblance was uncanny, there were some big clues to hint that this guy wasn't Ranma.

The first was his appearance itself. His hair was dark, but it looked like it was a dark shade of blue rather than the straight black that Ranma had. This guy also didn't have a pigtail. His hair was short with no indication of Ranma's signature hairstyle. His eyes were the same shade of blue as Ranma's, but his expression didn't have that panicked or confused look Ranma had when he had to deal with women. Whoever this guy was, he seemed more accustomed to girls. His clothes were another hint that he wasn't Ranma. He was wearing a black t-shirt with a white vest over it. He was also wearing a pair of jeans and sneakers. Ranma always wore his Chinese clothes unless he was forced otherwise. Just who was this guy?

The young man skidded to a halt in front of Nabiki. Both teens blinked in confusion for a moment before crashes from the fiancées coming closer managed to snap them out of it.

"Sorry, Auntie Nabs," the boy sighed before he grabbed Nabiki and slung her over his shoulder.

"Huh? Hey!" Nabiki cried as she was picked up and the boy started moving.

"Airen!" Shampoo cried as she made it around the corner. "Come back and let Shampoo get rid of bad spirits!"

"I don't have evil spirits!" the boy yelled back heatedly. "Now leave me alone!"

"Ranchan! Wait up!" Ukyo called as she dodged a ribbon whip from Kodachi.

"Ranma-sama! Do not go with these harridans!" Kodachi cried while trying to eliminate Ukyo.

Nabiki heard the boy growling in anger. Now this wasn't good. Obviously the fiancées had mistaken this guy as Ranma. Since Ranma had a habit of wearing disguises from time to time, they assumed that this was another one. Nabiki could tell that this guy was running from them to avoid trouble, but from the anger in his voice, it seemed he wasn't going to keep running.

"Are those three stupid, deaf or just in denial?" the boy growled. "Pop's stories have nothing on the real thing."

"They don't listen that well," Nabiki answered. "Now why are you in the process of kidnapping me?"

"I'm not," the guy retorted. "Knowing those three from Pop's stories, they'd probably attack you if they saw me with you thinking you're a rival or something."

Nabiki frowned slightly at the answer she received. Apparently this guy knew how the Fiancée Brigade operated, but nothing in great detail. He just knew general reactions. The question was, how did he know what he did?

"Unless there has been an official announcement, I'm not a fiancée," Nabiki replied dryly. "Those girls may jump to conclusions a lot, but they aren't stupid."

"Yeah well, I'm under the impression that you helped them jump to those conclusions on more than one occasion," the boy shot back sharply.

Now Nabiki was getting really interested. This guy somehow knew a lot of details about the Nerima Wrecking Crew and some of the things that went on. Of course, in the early days of Ranma's arrival and the year that followed, Nabiki didn't hesitate to make money off of him. She didn't have much choice since he and his father ate more food by themselves in a week than the rest of the house in a month. Later, it was just to try and stop the wedding because she felt that her little sister and Ranma didn't deserve to be forced together in a marriage they weren't ready for and didn't want.

The boy put on an extra burst of speed to get some distance between himself and the fiancées and ducked into an alley. The three wanna-be brides went running past in their moving battle, leaving Nabiki and the boy with some peace.

"Okay, you," Nabiki frowned as she was placed on her feet. "Who are you and just how did you know so much about me and the fiancées anyway?"

"I grew up with stories about all of you," the boy shrugged. "The story of Herb is one of my favorites."

"Still doesn't answer the question of who you are," Nabiki frowned.

"My name is Tenma Saotome," the boy answered with an easygoing smirk. "It's a pleasure."

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Nodoka Saotome walked towards the Tendo Dojo with her usual graceful stride. Since her home had been rebuilt, she had gone back to living at the Saotome house. She had discussed having Ranma and Genma moving back home, but both Genma and Soun had insisted that for the good of Ranma and Akane's relationship that they still live together.

Well, she had heard that Ranma and Akane were the same as always. Of course, the failed wedding wasn't something she called beneficial to their relationship. Honestly, what were the fathers thinking? A forced wedding? Genma and Soun must have been getting desperate. She was just thankful that Kasumi had let her know how everything went.

Lately, she had been hearing rumors about strange monsters that have been appearing around Nerima lately. She knew her manly son could handle himself, but she was still concerned. She was still his mother after all.

She rounded the corner toward the Tendo Dojo and noticed something, or rather someone, who was standing outside the main gates of the Tendo property.

She seemed to be a little girl around eight to ten years old. Maybe eleven. She was about average in her height for someone her age, and she was wearing a simple long sleeved shirt with pants. Her head was covered with a messy mop of red hair which was held in a ponytail. Her eyes were an adorable shade of blue and she looked painfully cute. She almost looked like a younger version of Ranma's female side.

"Little girl?" Nodoka asked as she stepped closer. "Are you all right?"

The girl turned to gaze at Nodoka and her face lit up in a bright smile. She seemed to want to start cheering for some reason or other. However, she was just barely keeping it contained.

"I'm okay!" the girl replied happily. "I'm just waiting for Onii-chan."

"Your brother?" asked Nodoka.

"Uh-huh," the girl nodded. "We got separated and he said that if we did, I was supposed to go to the Tendo Dojo and wait for him."

"I see," Nodoka nodded. "What a nice little girl you are. What's your name?"

"Ranko!" the girl smiled brightly.

"Well hello, Ranko," Nodoka smiled. "My name is Nodoka. Would you like to come inside with me?"

"Okay!" Ranko smiled. "Maybe Papa will be okay."

"Oh? Your father is here?" wondered Nodoka

"Sometimes," Ranko shrugged. "He's the best fighter on the planet! He's so cool!"

"He does sound good," Nodoka smiled, pretending to believe the little girl. "My son is a martial artist too. He's incredibly manly."

"My gramma says that about Papa too," Ranko giggled. "She's so silly. She always says Papa should have more kids. I think that would be cool because I would have a little brother or sister."

"She sounds like a lucky woman," Nodoka sighed wistfully. "I wish so dearly my son would give me some grandchildren. He has so many girls willing to be the mother of those children. I just don't know why he doesn't just accept them."

"Maybe he doesn't like them?" wondered Ranko.

"I don't see why not," Nodoka pondered. "They seem very devoted to him. They are also very beautiful and willing to marry him."

"Mama told me that there are more important things that being pretty," Ranko answered. "Maybe those girls don't treat him very nice."

Nodoka found that as something she didn't think of before. Her son did have his manly duties to his future wife to consider, but what about the girls who chased him? She had heard that the girls after her son have been somewhat...'enthusiastic' in their attempts for his hand. The failed wedding was certainly a good example of the girls going overboard, but they were just girls in love, right?

Both Nodoka and Ranko reached the front of the Tendo home in comfortable silence. Nodoka knocked on the door slightly and like clockwork, Kasumi opened the door with her warm smile.

"Oh, hello, Auntie," Kasumi smiled. She then took notice of Ranko. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this little one is Ranko," Nodoka introduced. "She was outside the property waiting for her bother. I thought we could make her comfortable while she waited."

"Of course we can," Kasumi smiled vibrantly. "Please come in."

"If I may ask Kasumi, where is Ranma?" Nodoka asked as the three females walked inside.

"He should be out in the dojo," Kasumi answered politely. "I think he's practicing."

"I'll go see him then," Nodoka nodded before she started a walk towards the dojo.

As she was walking, Nodoka recalled the healthy glow to Kasumi's face. It brought a smile to the older woman's face. Kasumi had found a man of her own. That was wonderful. Perhaps if all went well then they could have a double wedding! Her manly son with Akane and Kasumi with whatever dashing gentleman she had coupled up with.

As she came closer to the dojo, she began to hear music emanating from within. Now that was odd. Her son didn't listen to music when he was practicing in the dojo. Had he decided to try something new?

Her curiosity was now bubbling as she reached the doors of the dojo. Deciding to take a peek first, she opened the doors a crack. What she found herself looking at was surprising enough to make her gasp quietly.

She saw Ranma moving in quite a dance pattern as he practically bounced off the dojo walls. His movements were graceful and precise, but looked like it was almost lazy. Nodoka had to admit that her son was very good at this dancing style. She did find it a little odd that he was wearing a cap and a length of purple hair sticking out of said hat.

Ranma Purple was enjoying the tunes that the music was putting out. Nabiki let him borrow it so he wouldn't get bored. Ryutaros got bored easily so as long as no one else besides Nabiki and Kasumi were home, then he could come out and practice.

"Ranma?" a new voice gasped from the dojo entrance.

"Eh?" Ranma Purple blinked as he turned to see who was at the door. He found himself looking at Nodoka Saotome.

'_Oh no!_' Ranma moaned inside of Ranma Purple's head.

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Kasumi was humming pleasantly as she continued sweeping. It was nice to have Auntie Nodoka come over. She was feeling a little lonely during the day. She also kept an eye on little Ranko who was contentedly sitting at the table, playing with her fingers.

'_Am I to believe that woman from before was Ranma's mother, Princess?_' Sieg asked with what sounded like curiosity.

'_Yes,_' Kasumi replied in her thoughts. She didn't want to alarm the little girl who was sitting a short distance away.

'_Your memories seem to suggest that she has some high expectations of the young warrior,' _Sieg commented.

'_Well, Auntie seems to want Ranma to become a man amongst men,_' Kasumi replied. '_She seems to want grandchildren very badly too._'

'_Probably because she was deprived the chance to raise her own child,_' Sieg spoke. '_Her desire for Ranma to be a man amongst men is probably so that Ranma will have no problem attracting women._'

'_Well, Ranma certainly doesn't have that problem,_' Kasumi sighed internally. '_But because of the fiancées fighting over and hurting him, Ranma seems to try and avoid receiving female affection._'

'_After seeing how the fiancées, your sister included, treat the boy, I'm not very surprised,_' Sieg sighed.

Kasumi held the urge to sigh sadly. Sieg was right about that. The fiancées did fight over Ranma a lot. Not to mention that they would try their own tricks to make Ranma pay attention to them. Akane wouldn't really try anything, but would hit him if the other girls were being affectionate towards him. Shampoo would glomp him trying to use her physical attributes to lure him in and when that didn't work; she's try potions, tricks or other things. Kodachi would just try to poison him and drag him off. Ukyo would often play on the fact he called her the 'cute fiancée' or guilt him into listening to her. Ranma had once told her that during the incident with the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion he had ended up at Ukyo's place and rather than be sympathetic, she only went on about the life she and Ranma would live while she ran a restaurant.

Kasumi may have looked like a pleasant person, but she had to agree with Sieg. The fiancées were incredibly selfish and abusive towards Ranma in their attempts in claiming him. It wasn't any wonder that Ranma shied away from female affection. He usually received pain immediately after it was given to him.

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Ranma Purple was staring blankly at Nodoka with some surprise. The lady seemed to be nice if the gentle surprise on her face was any indication. The sword she was carrying was pretty cool too. A brief look into Ranma's memories revealed how the pigtailed boy knew this lady.

'_Oh crap!_' Ranma moaned in his thoughts. '_Mom's gonna kill us! There's no way dancing will be seen as manly by her!_'

"Ranma?" Nodoka blinked.

"Mama!" Ranma Purple cheerd happily. To Ranma's complete shock and fear, his Imagin posessed body dashed right over to Nodoka before trapping her in a large hug. He even took a moment to twirl the woman in a circle before putting her back down. He didn't release her from the hug.

For her own part, Nodoka was somewhat surprised by the outburst from her son. That isn't to say that she found the event unpleasant. Ever since she had been reunited, Nodoka had very little personal time with her son. At first it was because he was pretending to be a girl named Ranko. After that, she was either at home or Ranma was busy elsewhere. Having her son look excited to see her and hug her like he was made her happy as she wrapped her arms around him.

Inisde his own head, Ranma was somewhat surprised. Ranma Purple, otherwise known as Ryutaros, was having a burst of emotion and hugging his mother like there was no tomorrow. As he was raised by Genma, Ranma was taught that men don't get emotional that often. Crying and such was strictly forbidden by Genma. Of course, Genma wasn't much of one to follow his own lessons since he often began his own temper tantrums or fits of whining when something wasn't going his way like when Ranma heatedly denied that any marriage was going to happen between himself and Akane. It was because of Genma's lessons that Ranma wasn't especially forward in dealings with his mother. He felt that it would be unmanly and disappoint his mother. So it was understandable that he was confused at his own mother returning the affectionate gesture.

"Hello, Ranma," Nodoka smiled brightly as she drew back from her son. She took a moment to take in his appearance. "I see you decided to change your appearance a little. I didn't know you were a dancer too."

"Heh," Ranma Purple smiled. "Dancing's fun. I'm one of the best too!"

"So I saw," Nodoka nodded. Her son was a little different in his attitudes. Perhaps he had finally learned to unwind a little. Thoughts of grandchildren popped into her mind as she pondered weither or not one of his fiancees had a hand in that. "I just came by to say hello. We haven't seen each other since the failed wedding."

"It's been fun!" Ranma Purple laughed as he and Nodoka began walking back to the house. "Lots of fun things have been happening."

"I heard about the monsters," Nodoka spoke. "Have you been fighting them?"

"Oh yeah!" Ranma Purple nodded with great enthusiasm. "They're tough, but I'm tougher!"

"Ooh! My son's so manly!" Nodoka cheered happily as she wrapped Ranma Purple in a hug. A hug that Ranma Purple returned happily.

Inside his own head, Ranma was still stunned by how his mother accepted affection from her son so easily.

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"Come again?" Nabiki blinked at the boy. There was no way she heard him correctly.

"You heard me," Tenma laughed as he leaned against a building's wall. "My name is Tenma Saotome."

"Can't be," Nabiki frowned. "Nodoka never had any other kids and you look a little older than Ranma. He may be dense sometimes, but even he would remember having an older brother."

"Never said I was his brother," Tenma snickered. He was obviously enjoying the confusion that he was putting Nabiki through.

"Then how are you related to Ranma?" Nabiki asked sternly. "You look a little like him so you have to be related."

"I am related to him," Tenma nodded. "Really, you've been dealing with the Imagin long enough to know about them. All this about time travel and such should be playing a big clue."

"Time travel?" Nabiki blinked. Her eyes slowly began to widen as the clues began to come together. He called her auntie and seemed to say he was told stories about the wrecking crew while growing up. His final words about time travel drove it all home. "Oh...no way."

"Bingo!" Tenma laughed. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Tenma Saotome, SON of Ranma Saotome."

Nabiki felt herself become officially surprised. Sure, she had been dealing with time travelling trains, monsters, and Kamen Riders, but this was one of the last things that she had been expecting to deal with.

"Ranma's son?" Nabiki blinked. She just shook her head at the shock of the situation. "I guess Ranma and Akane really do get hitched after all."

"Woah, hold on there," Tenma suddenly stiffened. "Who said that Pop married that tempermental tomboy?"

"Huh?" Nabiki blinked. There was another curveball thrown at her. "You mean they don't? Ranma seemed determined to hold up the Tendo agreement during the past year."

"Yeah well, that was in the past," Tenma shrugged. "People change as time goes on. Auntie Akane doesn't really treat Pop that well. She's always mad at him for some reason or another."

"More of the stories you were told?" asked Nabiki.

"That and seen it for myself," Tenma sighed. "I swear, she doesn't even know what she wants. Pop told me she's hit him and say the engagement was off and then get ticked at him when other girls tried to get close."

Nabiki sighed to herself. That was sure true. Akane would often get mad at Ranma for something and pound him for it, but at other times when other girls so much as looked at him, she'd call him a perrvert and hit him. She'd deny any feelings for him and then turn around and try and keep the other fiancees away from him.

"So is Kasumi your mother then?" asked Nabiki. "You call me and Akane auntie so I assume we're related."

"Nope," Tenma snickered. "I just call you that since you're a friend of the family. The Tendo and Saotome families weren't united. Grandpa was really ticked about that. He actually tried to get Pop and Mom to let him take me on a training trip. I'm told Pop kicked his butt for asking."

Nabiki blinked in surprise. So the schools weren't united after all? Well, it seemed that the fathers' plans weren't going to come to fruition after all. Still, she had one question she was intent on asking.

"So, Tenma," Nabiki spoke. "Have you been roped into any engagements that you don't want?"

"Well, not for lack of trying," Tenma snickered. "Grandpa and Mr. Tendo seem to keep trying to force me with one of his granddaughters. I say hi to one of the girls and the grandfathers suddenly leap with wedding stuff, intent on getting me hitched. Then Grandpa seeems to enjoy using me as a means to stuff his face for free. After the first three, we had to send notices all over the city not to accept any deals from Genma Saotome"

Nabiki sighed and shook her head. So it seemed that the fathers were still intent on uniting the schools and Genma was as much a freeloader as ever. Even though their plans apparently didn't work with Ranma, the fathers assumed they could pressure Tenma into a marriage with a Tendo girl. When would those two give up?

Nabiki was about to ask some more questions when a battle cry ripped through the air.

"RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!"

"And that would be P-chan," Tenma sighed. "Right on schedule. Just a minute."

Tenma turned to the direction that the cry had come from and sure enough, there was Ryoga standing in the street with his usual hateful glare aimed at Tenma. Obviously, he coudn't tell the difference between Ranma and Tenma either.

The reputed boy from the future walked towards Ryoga with a grin overcoming his features. If there was anything he had inherited from his father, it was his love of a good fight. Tenma's father had told him stories about his fights with Ryoga and the teen was looking forward to testing his skills against one of the legendary Nerima Wrecking Crew.

'_Wait, Tenma!_' a voice called inside of Tenma's mind. '_Let me take care of it._'

Tenma blinked before he siddenly stiffened as a green haze of energy overtook him. His hair lengthened over his shoulders to his front on both shoulders. The lenght of hair on the right was a bright green. Tenma's eyes had likewise turned to an emerald green.

Nabiki instantly recognized the signs of an Imagin posessing someone. She also managed to spy the green hair Tenma now sported. There was no doubt about it. Tenma had an Imagin of his own. Now the question was, how was this Imagin going to handle the situation?

Tenma Green walked toward Ryoga with grim determination on his face. Ryoga clenched his umbrella tightly, ready for any kind of trick who he thought was Ranma might pull. Tenma Green stopped his march when he was only a couple steps in front of Ryoga.

"Hello!" Tenma Green bowed deeply before the Lost Boy.

Ryoga promptly facefaulted from the action. Nabiki almost did the same. That was it? This Imagin took over and was trying to talk his way out of the situation? Good luck with someone who was as thick-headed as Ryoga.

"Don't play games with me, Ranma!" Ryoga shouted as he got back to his feet. "I traveled a long way to get another fight with you!"

"But I'm not Ranma!" Tenma Green insisted as he waved his arms placatingly. "Really, I'm not! I just look like him!"

Ryoga didn't want to consider it, but this guy may have looked like Ranma, but there were some obvious differences. This guy's eyes were an emerald green. Even Ranma couldn't change his eye color like he could change his gender.

Still, Ryoga had to be sure, so he reached into his backpack and brought out his canteen. Using all the speed he could muster, he splashed Tenma Green with the cold contents of the canteen.

"Pleh!" Tenma Green spat as he stumbled back slightly. He looked a little upset that Ryoga had splashed him. "Why did you do that?"

"I guess you aren't Ranma after all," Ryoga blinked. He then shrugged and turned to leave. He took a moment to look back at Tenma Green. "Sorry about the mix-up."

With his apology said, Ryoga left the alley. Tenma Green was busy wringing his clothes out, not really noticing Ryoga's departure. Nabiki wiatched the exchange and shook her head before walking up to the posessed boy.

"Nice job," Nabiki commented. "Just who might you be?"

"Oh!" Tenma Green gasped before he turned around and bowed deeply. "My name is Deneb. It is a pleasure to meet you." He then pulled something out of his pocket. It was a multicolored lollipop, "Would you like some candy?"

Nabiki blinked and quirked a small smile. "Um...sure." She accepted the candy as Tenma Green stood up, a pleasant smile on his face.

'_Deneb! Quit it! You're embarassing me!_' Tenma cried out.

"But, Tenma," Tenma Green said, "We should always present someone a gift so we can make a good first impression."

'_What you're doing is embarrassing me!_' Tenma shouted, "_Get. Out. Now!_' Nabiki then watched as a burst of green energy leapt out of Tenma's body as his hair turned back to normal. The energy itself turned into an Imagin…a solid Imagin.

He was mostly black, or wearing black leather at least. His shoulders were covered with the material while a green plate with black markings was worn on his chest. His arms were grey with metal gauntlets and fingers that looked hollow. His boots looked like they were covered with metal in parts. Around his waist was a belt with a bull's head in the centre. His head looked like it was covered with a black hood with a metal headband. His face was a yellow mask that revealed green eyes and a silver mouth guard.

"But, Tenma!" Deneb tried to argue.

"What did I tell you about doing that in my body!?" Tenma frowned before he leaped at his Imagin and put him in a headlock.

"Ow! You said 'not to'?" Deneb asked as Tenma continued to hold a death grip around his head.

Nabiki watched the slapstick unfold with some appreciation for the humor. She had to admit, these two were a real piece of work. Deneb was a whole lot more humble and polite than the other Imagin which had taken up residence in Ranma.

"Exactly!" Tenma cried. "Not to! Prepare to face punishment!"

"Ack!" Deneb cried.

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Ranma Purple and Nodoka entered the main living room of the Tendo home where Kasumi was entertaining a little girl with red hair. Ranma Purple looked at the little girl curiously.

"Ranma, this is Ranko," Nodoka introduced with a smile. "Ranko, this is my son Ranma."

The little girl, now known as Ranko, took one look at Ranma Purple and began to smile brightly. She then immediately gave off a happy cry before she was up on her feet and running towards the possessed martial artist.

"Hi!" Ranko smiled as she ran closer before she leaped into Ranma Purple's arms. The young dancer/martial artist was caught by surprise a little as he caught the little girl.

"Oh she likes you, Ranma," Nodoka smiled. "You seem to have a way with children. You'll be a wonderful father. Perhaps you should consider having children of your own."

"Huh?" Ranma Purple blinked.

Ranko just continued to smile as she clutched the young man tightly. Holding in a little giggle, she leaned in to Ranma Purple's ear and began to whisper.

"I'm so happy to see you again, Ryu-nii," she whispered.

-----------------------------**DenLiner**-----------------------------------

"EH?!" Urataros, Momotaros, and Kintaros all gasped as they heard Ranko's words through Ranma's ears.

"What is it?" asked Hana in confusion.

"That brat knows it's the other brat in Ranma's body!" Momotaros snapped loudly.

"Curious," Urataros pondered. "I wonder how a little child like Ranko-chan would know about Ryuuta."

"She is very observant," Kintaros nodded.

"She's trouble that's what she is!" Momotaros growled as he reached for his coffee. Suddenly, he stiffened as he started sniffing the air. "Wait…"

"What is it, Momo-chan?" asked Naomi.

"Imagin!" Momotaros cried loudly. "The little brat has an Imagin!""

"What?!" Hana cried in shock.

"Are you sure, Sempai?" asked Urataros skeptically.

"I can smell it since we're still connected to Ranma's senses!" Momotaros snapped at his blue comrade in arms. "She reeks of an Imagin!"

"So what do we do about it?" asked Kintaros. "We haven't heard of anything odd happening."

"Well, odd for Narima anyway," Urataros shrugged.

The sounds of a door opening caught everyone's attention before Sieg came walking into the dining car. He gazed around at everyone before shaking his head with something akin to a disappointed sigh.

"I was having a delightful conversation with Princess," Sieg spoke. His voice was laced with annoyance. "It seems I cannot even do that in peace with cries of an Imagin abound."

"Don't start with your high and mighty crap, bird-boy!" Momotaros snapped. "That brat Ranko has an Imagin with her! If you weren't so busy flirting with Kasumi then you would know that by now!"

"On the contrary, I knew of this Imagin when Kasumi first laid eyes on the young one," Sieg retorted imperiously. "I thought you would have noticed it as well, but I keep forgetting my skills are on a different level than yours."

"Why you-?!" Momotaros growled before Hana, in her racing up to Sieg, shoved him into his booth.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Hana snapped. ""That Imagin might be dangerous!"

"If it was dangerous, it wouldn't be inside the child and being passive," Sieg retorted.

"You mean it's still there?" Hana asked with some disbelief.

"You couldn't tell? I thought it would be obvious," Sieg shrugged. "I suppose it can't be helped."

"But what are we supposed to do?" asked Hana with some irritation.

"Well, if this Imagin isn't doing anything wrong, then we should just sit tight until it reveals itself," Urataros shrugged. "Until Ryuuta leaves Ranma's body, there isn't much else we can do. Well, unless Sieg wishes to use Ranma's body and kick Ryuuta back here."

"Can you?" Hana asked and Sieg raised up a finger.

"I take no requests except those of Princess," Sieg said. "That is all I have to say. Good day." He then turned and left the dining car to his own 'Royal Chambers'.

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Back in the Tendo Dojo, Ranma Purple's eyes were wide with shock as he just stared at the little girl named Ranko. In his mind, Ranma studied the little girl's features and could pick up the subtle similarities she shared with both his mother and his female form.

"How did you know?" Ranma Purple asked the beaming girl.

"Know?" Nodoka blinked. "Know what?"

"Oh!" Kasumi gasped. This was turning out to be one of the usual awkward situations which the Imagin were bringing out. Thinking fast, Kasumi decided to distract Nodoka. "Auntie, I was going to start lunch soon. Would you like to help me?"

"Oh I'd be delighted to help," Nodoka beamed. She turned back to Ranma with her motherly smile. "Ranma, would you be a dear and watch little Ranko?"

"Okay, Mama!" Ranma Purple smiled brightly. He liked Nodoka. She was a really nice lady.

The two older women left the room, leaving Ranma Purple and Ranko alone in the living room. Ranma Purple immediately turned to face the little girl he was holding in his arms.

"How'd you know I was here?" Ranma Purple asked, his surprise still evident.

"Your hair and eyes silly!" Ranko giggled. "I saw it lots of times before."

"Eh?" Ranma blinked. He quickly put the little girl down in front of him. "But I've never seen you before! Who are you?"

"I'm Ranko Saotome!" Ranko giggled. "I'm the bestest little girl on the planet!"

'_Ranko Saotome?!'_ Ranma cried. '_Pop actually had a mistress?!_'

'_I highly doubt that, Ranma,_' Urataros reasoned from his little corner of Ranma's mind. '_Memories of your father told me that he wasn't the kind of man who would be that intimate with a woman casually. Besides, he may have been reasonable in looks when he met your mother, but I doubt many women would want him as he is now.'_

'_He's a freaking lazy tub of lard!_' Momotaros shouted. '_Good luck trying to get a woman with those looks!_'

'_Indeed,_' Urataros agreed. '_Your mother is also much too formal to cheat on her husband. With these facts in mind, I do not believe that she is your sister in any way._'

'_The how is she related to me?_' asked Ranma, still feeling a little panicked.

Further conversation was cut off when Ranko pulled the attention of Ranma and the Taros-tachi back to her.

"Um…Ryu-nii?" she asked. The little girl seemed a little shy now as she was asking the question. It was odd. She was so bright a minute ago.

"What?" Ranma Purple blinked.

"Can you and the other Nii-tachi come out?" she asked. "I wanna talk to Papa too."

All was silent in Ranma's head. For about five seconds anyway.

'_PAPA?!_'

Sand immediately burst from Ranma's sleeve as the purple hair, eyes, and cap vanished from his body. The sand pooled in front of him before collecting into four different piles. From those four piles, four Imagin burst into their sandy forms.

"Ore sanjou!" Momotaros.

"Mind if I string you along?" Urataros.

"My strength will make you cry," Kintaros.

"Mind if we talk now? I don't hear an answer!" Ryutaros.

Ranko watched the appearance of the four Imagin with looks of sheer happiness rather than shock like a number of people normally would. She wasn't still for long before she gave off an excited squeal and lunged at the four Imagin, wrapping all four in a hug as much as her little arms could.

"Nii-tachi!" She cheered. "Momo-nii! Ura-nii! Kin-nii! Ryu-nii! Yay! I found you!"

"Ack! Leggo!" Momotaros cringed as Ranko's little hug caused him to knock heads with Urataros.

"A hug is nice, but I prefer older girls," Urataros sighed as he tried to push away from Momotaros

"Hmm. Thank-you for your kindness," Kintaros grunted stoically.

"Uwah!" Ryutaros cried. "Girlie hug!"

"Okay, calm down already!" Ranma groaned as he watched the four Imagin. Ranko gasped and immediately looked up to Ranma while letting the four Imagin go. She was quiet for a moment before she began to sniffle and tears in the corner of her eyes.

"Hey…you okay?" Ranma asked, getting nervous. Crying girls were never a good thing.

"PAPA!" Ranko cried as she wrapped her arms around Ranma's neck and clutched him tightly. "Papa! Papa! Papa!"

"Urk!" Ranma grunted as Ranko's arms restricted his airflow slightly. Normally, he was freaking out, trying to stop her tears, but for some reason he wasn't. Instead, he wrapped his arms around the little girl and just held her as she let out her sobs.

"I'm so happy I found you, Papa," Ranko sniffled as she held Ranma.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" asked Ranma with some confusion. "I can't be your father. You look like your eight or something. There's no way I could have a kid eight years ago."

"You are my papa," Ranko sniffled. "Tama-nee can prove it."

"Tama-nee?" asked Ranma and his four Imagin friends.

Sand began to pour out of Ranko's clothes and slide across the floor a couple of feet before stopping in front of Ranma and the four Imagin. The sand began to pile before the body of the Imagin came through, but to everyone's surprise, the Imagin became solid and was sitting on its knees in front of them.

This Imagin was obviously female if the hourglass figure she possessed was any indication. She was donned in a white Kimono with silver foxes embroidered on it. The sleeves were short while her arms were covered in what looked like silver gloves that looked almost like they were made out of metal with pointed fingers. Her face looked like a porcelain kitsune mask with red highlights and black tipped fox ears. Platinum hair fell down her back. What caused everyone to be a little tense was the white leather whip ticked into the fabric wrapped around her waist.

"That would be me," the Imagin spoke. Her voice was melodious and mature-sounding. It was the kind of voice which could be very seductive when used properly.

"Ahh," Urataros nodded as he stepped forward to greet the new Imagin. "And just who might you be my beautiful lily?"

"Oh you flatter me," the Imagin giggled. It was obvious she was being a little flirty just as Urataros would be with any pretty girl.

"Great. Another pervert," Momotaros growled.

"I would hold my tongue if I were you, ogre!" the Imagin snapped. Her sudden reaction caused everyone save for Ranko to look at her. As if she was reading their minds, she pointed to her ears. "These do more than just accent my features."

"Okay, but who are you?" Ranma frowned, getting tense.

"My name is Tamamos, Ranma-sama," the Imagin introduced. She took the time to bow deeply. "I am the Imagin contracted to Ranko-hime."

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As Nodoka was helping Kasumi in the kitchen, a golden orb floated over her head. It had been looking for a host all day and had finally found one. The other girl in the room already had an Imagin with her, but the one in the kimono was clear. When the younger girl had her back turned, the orb darted into Nodoka's body without even her noticing. Now, all it would do was lie in waiting for the right time to manifest itself. This woman reeked of desperation and would obviously have a ton of wishes it could have fun with. Easy wishes were okay, but the fun ones were the best of all.

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"Ranko-hime?" Ranma blinked. He then realized that this wasn't the time to consider such things. "Never mind. Just how can you prove that I'm Ranko's father? I would be eight years old when she was born."

"Hmm, even more handsome but still dense," Tamamos sighed.

"Oi!" Momotaros growled.

"Do not insult Ranma-sama!" Kintaros growled.

"I was just making an observation," Tamamos retorted. She then looked to Ranma. "Ranko-hime is very much your daughter. You see, Ranko and I come from a future timeline."

"…." Ranma was silent as the reality of what was happening came crashing down on him. He looked down to Ranko, who was looking up at Ranma with hope in her eyes.

Ranma himself was finding himself a little panicked. He was a father, or at least going to be. He had to admit that this was pretty much the norm for him in Nerima since DenLiner came into his life.

"So you really are me daughter?" asked Ranma quietly.

"Uh-huh," Ranko hiccupped. "You're my papa."

Ranma felt like something heavy came down on his shoulders. This wasn't something he could fight his way out of like he could with the Imagin or delusional rivals. What was worse, if the fiancées got wind of Ranko's existence, they would either go on the warpath to get rid of Ranma for 'cheating' on them, or try every trick in the book to get Ranko to like them so they could get a leg up on the competition. Still, if there was one person in danger…

"Ranko," Ranma asked quietly. "What's your mother's name?"

"Um," Ranko frowned. "Onii-chan said I can't tell anyone 'cause that could hurt the timeline and if the other girls who want to be my mama find out then they would try to stop her from being my mama."

"That makes sense," Urataros nodded. "The fiancées do get somewhat jealous for an amazing number of reasons, even if some are imagined rather than real."

Ranma nodded. Urataros had a point. If the fiancées did hear that Ranko was his daughter and not theirs, they would start getting angry and demanding that they be told just who Ranko's mother is. They probably wouldn't even realize that they would be killing Ranko and her brother if they tried to browbeat this mystery girl away from him.

Wait a minute.

"Brother?!" Ranma gaped. "You mean I have a son running around here too?"

"That you do!" Tamamos giggled. "And I must say he's just as scrumptious as you are. A spitting image really. I do wonder what would happen if those fiancées of yours catch sight of him."

"Oh crap," Ranma gulped. That was eve worse. If whoever this guy was did look like Ranma, then the fiancées would be all over him demanding to get married. He looked down to Ranko again. "I think we'd better find your brother."

"Okay!" Ranko smiled. "I wanna see Onii-chan anyway."

Ranma nodded as he stood up and took Ranko's hand as she got up as well. He turned to the way that led to the kitchen before calling out to his mother.

"Hey, Mom!" he called. "I'm going to take Ranko to the playground. We'll be back for lunch."

"Okay, Ranma," Nodoka called back. "If you see Ranko's brother be sure to invite him too."

"Don't have to tell me twice," Ranma replied before he turned to his four companions and Ranko's adopted sister. "Coming?"

All five Imagin instantly changed into orbs of light before entering their respective hosts. When all the sand was clear, Ranko and Ranma headed to the front door to get their shoes. They had an older brother to find.

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Tenma was with Nabiki as they headed towards the Dojo. With them was Deneb who was walking close to Tenma for obvious reasons. Three female reasons that were one of the main headaches his father had to deal with.

"So, what brings you here, anyway?" Nabiki asked.

"Just taking my little sis to visit Pops," Tenma said offhandedly.

"You have a little sister?" she asked. Now this was even bigger news.

"Yup, and I told her to wait at the Tendo Dojo for me," he said. "I would have been with her if those three whackjobs hadn't jumped me thinking I was Pop."

"I do hope young Ranko is alright," Deneb said worriedly.

"Don't worry, Deneb," Tenma said. "She has Tamamos with her."

Nabiki quirked an eyebrow, "Tamamos? Your sis has an Imagin?"

"That's right," Tenma said. "And Tamamos is more or less like the sister my lil' sis never had. She will die protecting Ranko. That is all I know."

"I see," Nabiki nodded. "So, how did you get here? DenLiner?"

Tenma smirked mysteriously and said, "You'll see."

Nabiki, remembering that Tenma had come from the future, decided to ask, "So…anything you'd like to tell me about the future?"

Tenma gave her a look, "You want some info on the stock market and bets, don't you?" He shook his head and chuckled, "Just like the Auntie Nabs in my time, always looking for a way to make a Yen. Thank goodness Pops warned me about you."

Great. Ranma spoiled her fun yet again. Some things just never changed.

"Sorry, Auntie Nabs, but we can't tell you about the future. The timeline needs to be preserved and all that," Tenma explained. He added mentally, _'Plus, it's fun!'_

"Can you stop calling me 'Auntie'?" she requested, frowning. "I'm not old, yet."

"Fine," Tenma sighed. "But you really don't look that old back home anyway."

"Good boy," Nabiki smirked. Apparently Tenma didn't suffer from the usual Saotome foot-in-mouth disease.

"That was a nice thing to say, Tenma," Deneb nodded approvingly. "I'm glad to see you're making the effort to make friends."

"Deneb," Tenma sighed. "I don't need coaching for making friends. How many times have I told you that?"

"Sixteen times," Deneb replied, missing the sarcasm. "It doesn't make it untrue though. Your mother would be very happy to know you're making a lot of friends."

"Yeah, I guess she would," Tenma sighed. Nabiki noted that he suddenly looked drained of energy. Had something happened to his mother? Better save that question for later.

The three travelers turned the corner which would lead them to the Tendo Dojo. As they were waling towards the front gate, they witnessed two people stepping out. One was none other than Ranma Saotome himself, but the other one was a red-haired little girl who was better known as Ranko.

"She looks just like Ranma in girl form when we had those mushrooms," Nabiki blinked.

"You've mentioned that now and again," Tenma snickered. He then started waving. "Hey, Ranko!"

The small girl instantly stopped and turned to see who was calling her name. When her eyes landed on the three, a bright smile appeared over her face before she dashed towards them.

"ONII-CHAN! DENEB-NII! AUNTIE NABS!" she cried happily before leaping into Tenma's arms, hugging her older brother tightly.

Ranma saw who Ranko was running towards and followed at a steady pace. As he got closer, he first looked to who Ranko loudly called her older brother. As Ranma looked him over, he had to admit that the boy was a real spitting image of him.

"Hey, Pops," Tenma grinned as he eyed his future father walking towards them.

"Yo," Ranma nodded. He was still feeling a little lost at the moment and meeting his future son was not helping at the moment. "You must be Ranko's brother."

"Tenma Saotome. That's me." Tenma nodded. He then pointed to Deneb who was standing behind them. "This is my Imagin, Deneb."

"Hello, Ranma-sama!" Deneb bowed deeply. As he got up, he fished out some more of his candy and held it out to Ranma. "Would you like some candy?"

"Okay," Ranma snickered as he took the confections. Offering food to him was a good way of making a friend out of him.

"Deneb…" Tenma frowned. "Are you going to do this to all my family members?"

"But we haven't met this Ranma before, Tenma," Deneb argued. "We must make a good impression or we won't have a chance at making good friends."

"Ugh," Tenma sighed sadly.

"Deneb-nii is really nice, Papa," Ranko smiled.

"I can see that," Ranma nodded. He then turned to look at Nabiki who seemed to be taking the entire situation in stride. "I take it he explained things to you."

"Oh yes," Nabiki nodded. She then looked sharply at Ranma, making the martial artist flinch. "He also told me that you informed him not to alert me of any future business moves. You and I will talk about that later, though."

"Great," Ranma muttered.

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Nodoka was busy getting some of the appetizers for lunch ready while Kasumi had gone to answer the phone. As she was working, she began to feel a strange tingling sensation. She took a moment to check herself and gasped in shock as sand began to fall from her sleeves. Where was it all coming from?

The sand piled up quickly before it seemed to move a little bit away from her. She received an even bigger shock when the body of some sort of creature rose from it while its legs dangled from the air.

The creature seemed to be covered in some kind of natural armor, but the right side was somewhat darker than the left side. Its face was mostly covered by either a mouth not unlike what a grasshopper face would look like on the left side while the right side appeared more like an ant's. Two different antennae appeared to be coming form its head as well. A long feeler was on the left side and it was slung over its back while the right side had one that was pointing forward. The legs were different as well. The left leg had a wing dangling from the waist that looked insect-like while a grasshopper leg jutted out from the side. The right side had something that looked more like a skinny ant leg.

"I can sense it," the creature spoke in a voice that sounded almost like two people talking as one. "You have a wish. Will you let me hear it? I have the power to make it come true, you know."

Nodoka was speechless.

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As Ranma and Nabiki were having their 'chat', Momotaros suddenly began screaming in his head.

'_Ranma! There's an Imagin!_' Momotaros cried.

"Where?" Ranma asked. The others with him knew he was communicating with one of his Imagin.

'_It's coming from inside the house!_' Momotaros told him.

"WHAT!?" Ranma shouted in shock, causing the others to jump.

"What's happening?" Ranko asked, fearing the worst.

"There's an Imagin back in the house!" Ranma exclaimed. Ranko gasped.

"Oh no! Auntie Kasumi and Gramma are still inside!" the little girl cried.

'_Mom!_' Ranma realized as he went straight for the Dojo, followed closely behind by his future kids, Nabiki and Deneb.

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"So, that is your wish," the Imagin nodded as Nodoka told it without thinking. "Very well." Its legs then vanished upwards as its upper body rose up, gaining color. It now stood at full height and solid and looked just as menacing as it had been before. The grasshopper side was green and the ant side was black.

Kasumi entered into the kitchen and let out a shocked scream. That was all Sieg needed before he exited from Kasumi's body, ready to fight. The Anthopper Imagin looked at Sieg disdainfully.

"So, one of the traitors," the Anthopper Imagin hissed. "This is becoming more fun."

"I shall not allow you to land a hand on my Princess!" Sieg proclaimed as he got into a battle stance. The Anthopper Imagin then produced a weapon that resembled a shovel.

Kasumi was immediately at Nodoka's side. "Auntie, we need to go!"

"W-what is going on?" Nodoka asked, seeing the two 'monsters' in front of her. "What are they?"

"I'll explain later but we have to go!" Kasumi cried as she yanked Nodoka to her feet and began pulling her away from the kitchen.

As Nodoka and Kasumi were escaping, the Saotome family and their friends were just entering the property. They didn't get far before the side of the house seemed to explode as Sieg and the Anthopper Imagin came barreling through the debris with weapons flashing. Sieg was using a boomerang and a small axe which looked majestic with feathers. The Anthopper Imagin was still using its shovel weapon to face off against him.

"Onii-chan!" Ranko cried. "Gramma and Auntie Kasumi are still inside!"

"I know, Ranko!" Tenma frowned. "Tamamos!"

The foxy Imagin appeared quickly in a flash of white energy. She had her whip in her hands and looked ready to fight.

"I am ready to fight, Tenma-sama," she spoke with an edge of malice.

"Forget that!" Tenma frowned. "You make sure Nabiki and Ranko are safe. I'll go get Auntie and Grandma."

"What about me, Tenma?" asked Deneb.

"You watch Pop's back until I get there," Tenma muttered to his Imagin. "I have a weird feeling about this one."

"Roger!" Deneb nodded.

"Less yakking and more fighting!" Ranma yelled as he dashed towards the fight between Sieg and the Anthopper Imagin. He summoned his Terminal Belt and in one swift motion, wrapped it around his waist.

"Momotaros! Let's go!" Ranma called as he pulled out his Hyper Pass and pressed the red button before bringing the pass over the symbol. "Henshin!"

"**Sword Form!**"

Ranma was engulfed in light before the Plat Form armor covered him. The red armor of his first form appeared over his body before the red peach slid down his face and locked into place. Den-O SF was now ready to rock! Grabbing the pieces of DenGasher, he constructed his sword in record time.

Sieg managed to block a heavy strike from his opponent before Den-O SF charged in with his sword raised.

"Outta my way, Bird-boy! I'm kicking some ass!" Den-O SF roared before he kicked the Anthopper Imagin back.

"Very well, peon," Sieg shrugged. "I must see to Princess anyway."

"WHAT?!" Den-O SF roared. "I told you not to call me that!"

Seig just snorted as he turned and began heading for the house. Den-O SF would have tried to get him, but the Anthopper Imagin was a better means of releasing his stress. Growling, he turned back to his opponent.

"Okay, now I'm really pissed off!" he growled. "Now this fight is starting at its climax!"

"Another traitor," the Anthopper Imagin said as he stared at Den-O SF. "All traitors should die."

"Shut your mouth, asshole!" Den-O SF exclaimed. "Because I'm at the climax right now!" Den-O SF swung down with his sword and the Anthopper Imagin dodged quickly before thrusting its weapon into Den-O SF's chest. Den-O SF was sent staggering before the Anthopper Imagin jumped up and kicked him in the chest hard before slashing with his shovel-sword. Den-O SF then charged at the Imagin and slashed with his sword and then threw his fist into the Imagin's face, before grabbing it by the head and giving it a strong headbutt. The Imagin was sent sprawling on the ground from the hit. Den-O SF then took out the Hyper Pass.

"Time for my hissatsu attack! Part 3!" Den-O SF announced as he placed the Pass over the belt buckle.

"**Full Charge!**" the belt announced as it sent energy into the DenGasher. The blade detached from the handle and then Den-O SF swung it down to slice the Imagin in half. The Imagin got up and the blade went down right down the middle of its body. Den-O SF thought it was all over but then the Imagin did something shocking. Both halves of its body got back up and then started to grow new halves. One Imagin was a full green Grasshopper Imagin and the other was a Black Ant Imagin.

'_Didn't see THAT coming_,' Ranma said.

"Then let's chop them into pieces!" Den-O SF shouted as he directed the flying blade at them again.

"Don't think so!" the Grasshopper Imagin said as he produced a weapon that resembled a violin. It produced a bow and then began to play it. The violin produced a powerful shockwave that sent the blade of the DenGasher back and at Den-O SF. Den-O SF leapt out of the way as the blade imbedded itself into the ground. The Ant Imagin then acted quickly and slashed at Den-O with his shovel-sword.

"Gah!!" Den-O SF cried as he stumbled back. "Kuso!"

Deneb decided to help and pointed his fingers at the Grasshopper Imagin, shooting at it. The Imagin used its violin-like weapon as a shield before it lunged at Deneb. Deneb took a hard hit in the head and kick to the chest. The Grasshopper Imagin chuckled, "Time to meet your end, like all traitors do…"

From near the entry of the house, Tenma saw the sudden reversal of the battle that his father and 'brother' were fighting in.

"Aw man," he frowned. "Just perfect."

Taking another look at the house, he started running towards the battle where the Grasshopper Imagin and the Ant Imagin were slowly walking towards Den-O SF and Deneb with deadly laughter coming from their throats.

"Oi! Bug-faces!" Tenma called as soon as he got close enough to the battle.

"Eh?" the Ant Imagin grunted. "Go away, gaki, before we kill you too," it warned.

'_What is he doing?!_' Ranma cried out.

"Afraid I can't do that folks," Tenma snickered before he reached behind his back and pulled out a belt. It was gray and there was a case on the side which seemed to be holding something. The buckle was black with a round circle in the middle with green and yellow lines running through it. A button and a switch rested on the top of the buckle.

"What the-?!" Den-O SF cried in shock.

In a flash of movement, Tenma wrapped the belt around his waist. He then reached to the case on his belt and pulled out a black card that had some green lines running across it. His smirk remained as he reached to the belt and pushed the switch to the right which began a strange flute tune.

"Henshin!" Tenma called before he took the card and slid it into the right side of the buckle. The end of the card could be seen on the opposite side of the belt, but the green lines connecting it made it look like the letter A.

"**Altair Form!**" the buckle called loudly.

There was a green flash of light which enveloped Tenma for a moment. When it was gone, he was covered in a bodysuit which was mostly black. The shoulders were green and stuck out slightly while there were gold bands on the wrists with green gloves and gray gauntlets. A blade and a handle appeared on opposite sides of the belt. There was nothing on his chest and there were only silver boots on his feet. His helmet was black with a silver moutguard and yellow tracks running down over his eyes.

When the initial suit was finished, armor began appearing over his body before attaching to him. Y-shaped yellow tracks appeared in the centre of his chest and back while green armor took either side of the tracks on both front and back. A mooing sound echoed through the air as two bull heads traveled down the tracks on his helmet before stopping over his eyes. The bull noses shifted underneath the green centers while the horns were encased in green plating, becoming a visor for him.

"**Ha!**" Tenma cried as he shot his hand into the air. A bolt of lightning hit the ground between the two Riders, Deneb, and the Imagin, forcing the Imagin back and giving both Den-O SF and Deneb time to get back on their feet.

"Let me say this from the beginning," Tenma spoke as he pointed at the Imagin lazily. "I am VERY strong!"

Zeronos had arrived.


	12. My Hero Zero

I do not own Kamen Rider Den-O or Ranma 1/2. Those belong to their respective creators. It is also to note that Tamamos was originally created by Alienyouthct. I'm using her creation with her permission. Now that the legal stuff is out of the way, let's enjoy the fic.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 12: My Hero Zero

"Let me say this from the beginning," Zeronos AF spoke while lazily pointing at the Ant and Grasshopper Imagin. "I am VERY strong!"

Nabiki, Ranko, and Tamamos were watching the ensuing fight from a safe distance. Well, they were watching from the main gates to the Tendo property. As Nabiki was watching events unfold, she felt that things might possibly be unable to get any weirder. Her day started off with meeting Tenma Saotome, the actual son of the pigtailed martial artist who had come to live at her home. He and his Imagin Deneb had come from the future along with Tenma's little sister Ranko who also had an Imagin called Tamamos. They had gotten separated by the Fiancée Brigade who mistook Tenma for Ranma and began chasing him. That was when Nabiki had met him. Ranko had gone straight to the Tendo house where she had met up with the rest of the family. Nabiki's day got even weirder when Tenma told her that Ranma did not marry Akane or any of the Fiancée Brigade. When she and Tenma finally did get to the Tendo property, they ran into Ranko and Ranma before an Imagin appeared inside the Tendo house. Den-O went to fight it, but it them split into two Imagin and Tenma had to get involved by changing into a new Rider.

"Oh yeah," Nabiki chuckled when she heard what Zeronos AF had to say. "Only Ranma's son would say something like that."

"Yay, Onii-chan!" Ranko cheered from where she was hiding with her Imagin and Nabiki.

"Just as scrumptious as ever," Tamamos sighed.

Den-O SF just gaped at the green and black Rider which was standing next to them for a moment. This was the absolute last thing that he had been expecting to see. Sure, fighting two Imagin at once might be difficult, but he could pull it off. Then all of a sudden, that Tenma brat comes out of nowhere and changes into a Rider!

"What the hell?!" Den-O SF cried as he stomped up to Zeronos AF. "Just where do you get off coming in all cool like that!"

Zeronos AF turned slightly to regard Den-O SF before he started speaking, "Oh, come on, Momo-nii. You know that heroes have got to make a dramatic entrance before saving everyone."

"What?!" Den-O SF cried out. He was about to rage again when he suddenly took on a thinking pose. "You know, you're right about that."

As Den-O SF and Zeronos AF were talking, the Ant Imagin and the Grasshopper Imagin lost their patience. They were intent on granting their contractors wish even if they had to go through two Riders to make that wish come true. They both roared angrily before they charged with their weapons raised.

"Let's talk about dramatics later, Momo-nii," Zeronos AF spoke before he drew his green handle. He then attached it to his sword blade like a saber handle. He then drew the sword, but as he did, the blade grew to nearly triple its length. Zeronos AF hoisted the blade and let it rest on his shoulder. "Right now we have some Imagin to take down."

"I like the way you think, brat!" Den-O SF laughed before both he and Zeronos AF charged towards the two enemy Imagin. Deneb remained where he was. He knew better than to get involved in Tenma's fights unless Tenma said he could. Crossfire hurt a lot.

As the fighting began between the Riders and the Imagin, the front door to the Tendo property opened. From it, Nodoka and Kasumi both came out. Sieg was behind them, making sure that his princess was unharmed by the battle between the peons and the rouges.

"But, Kasumi," Nodoka cried out. "What is going on?"

"I said I would explain later, Auntie," Kasumi replied. "But right now it's too dangerous to be around here. We have to get to safety first."

"But-!" Nodoka tried to protest, but she was cut off when she saw the Riders fighting against the two Imagin. Her eyes immediately went sparkly as she clasped her hands together. "Uwaaaa! Who are those masked men? They're so manly!"

Deneb looked from where he was watching the battle and he saw Nodoka and Kasumi watching it. He immediately began to panic. Tenma would never forgive him if something happened to his grandmother or his favorite aunt.

"Oh! You shouldn't be here!" he cried as she dashed up to the two women. "It's too dangerous here! You must leave immediately."

"And who are you to order me to do anything?" Sieg asked in a grave tone.

"Oh please, Sieg!" Kasumi asked in an almost desperate fashion. "Auntie and I need to leave and we need someone to protect us."

"Very well, Princess," Sieg nodded, his attitude doing a complete 180. He completely ignored Deneb in favor of his princess. "Then I shall be your escort. We must make haste!"

"Thank you, Sieg," Kasumi smiled brightly. With that, Kasumi took Nodoka's shoulders and began to escort the older woman towards the front gates where Nabiki, Ranko, and Tamamos were hiding out and watching the battle.

Meanwhile, the battle was in full swing between the Riders and the Imagin. Zeronos AF was facing off against the Ant Imagin while Den-O SF was fighting against the Grasshopper Imagin. The Ant Imagin was a solid defender, but his attack strength relied solely on getting his opponent where he wasn't expecting it. The Grasshopper Imagin had very little defense beyond dodging attacks while his attack strength was up there.

"Can't catch me!" the Grasshopper Imagin laughed as he raced at Den-O SF, preparing to land a deadly blow.

"Wanna bet?" Den-O SF chuckled darkly as he readied himself.

The Grasshopper Imagin raised his violin for a club attack when he suddenly jumped into the air. Den-O SF looked up and saw him flying overhead, but there was something trailing behind him. Seeing an opportunity, Den-O SF grabbed a trailing antennae and he yanked it tightly, earning a cry of pain from the Grasshopper Imagin and sending it falling to the ground in a heap.

"Heh," Den-O SF chuckled. "And here I thought you were supposed to be tough."

Zeronos AF was busy with his own battle. The Ant Imagin was trying to duck low so he could score a hit on Zeronos AF's legs so he would be disabled. Unfortunately for the Ant Imagin, Zeronos AF was used to attacks like that so he could see them coming a mile away. As the Ant Imagin swung for the legs again, he found his shovel suddenly blocked by the ZeroGasher.

"I don't think so," Zeronos AF spoke while shaking his head. He then kicked the Ant Imagin in the head, sending it tumbling back where it landed next to its brother As Zeronos AF took a few steps closer, Den-O SF took a spot next to him.

"Since part 3 wasn't good enough for you guys," Den-O SF growled as he took out his Hyper Pass. "Then here's my Hissatsu Attack, Part 5!"

"All I need is one attack," Zeronos AF shrugged as he reached to his own belt.

"**Full Charge!**" both belts called. Den-O SF swiped his pass over his buckle while Zeronos AF pressed a button on his and drew out his card before punching it into his weapon. Red lines flew from the belt into the DenGasher while green lines flew from the card into the weapon before Zeronos AF took the card back from the weapon and placed it back in his belt.

Both of the Imagin were stumbling back to their feet as the Riders' weapons became fully charged. Den-O SF raised his sword into the air, letting the blade detach a second time. The red bade spun through the air before Den-O SF put it through an upward swing which tore through the ground before coming up at the Grasshopper Imagin.

"Not today, Den-O!" the Grasshopper Imagin called before it bent its legs and leaped into the air. The Grasshopper Imagin soared through the air before landing on the top of one of the houses. It laughed loudly before leaping away again into the distance.

Zeronos AF charged directly at the Ant Imagin. His blade was glowing with the energies that were meant to destroy the Ant Imagin once and for all. Once he was only a footstep away from swinging, the Ant Imagin ducked down before an eruption of dirt surrounded it as Zeronos AF swung his blade. The weapon cut through the dirt, but it didn't hit the Ant Imagin. The dirt cleared a second later only to reveal a large hole with chuckling coming from deep down within it.

"KUSO!!!" Den-O SF raged as he reattached his blade to the rest of his sword. "I can't believe he got away! What's he running away for!?"

"They've got a wish to grant," Zeronos AF answered before he looked over to where their captive audience was watching their every move. "I think I know who made the wish too."

Zeronos AF reached over to his belt and pulled out his card before carelessly tossing it away. Before it hit the ground, it dissolved into sand and vanished. He then grabbed his belt and pulled it off of his body, undoing the transformation.

"Great. More explanations," Den-O SF grumbled before taking off his own belt, undoing his transformation as Momotaros left Ranma's body.

Ranma heaved a sigh and turned towards the entrance to the Tendo property to see his mother staring at him with wide eyes, "Mom, we need to talk."

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Order was somewhat restored to the Tendo household now that the two Imagin had ran with their tails between their legs. Nabiki would have to call in some contractors, but the damage was minimal for a change considering who the ones fighting were. Currently, everyone was inside the living room, and that included Sieg, Deneb, and Tamamos, who Nodoka found to be quite curious creatures. Once everyone was situated, Nodoka began to hear the details on what the creatures were.

"So these Imagin," Nodoka spoke as she sipped her tea. "They come from the future to grant wishes so they can go to the past and change history. And it is up to these Riders like Ranma and Tenma to fight them and keep them from doing this."

"That's right," Tenma nodded.

"And Sieg, Deneb, and Tamamos are examples of Imagin," Nodoka continued. "Also, Ranma has four Imagin inside of him, but they aren't here right now."

"Yes," Kasumi nodded.

"I see," Nodoka sighed sadly. "And you need to find the Imagin that I had contracted before it is able to complete the wish and start affecting the past."

"Right, Mom," Ranma nodded. He then stepped towards his mother, trying to reveal how important the situation really was. "That's why we need to know what it was that you wished for. It would be a pretty big clue in figuring out where the Imagin is going to be."

"I undertsand," Nodoka sighed sadly. "In that case, what I had wished for was lots of grandchildren."

'_That's it?_' Momotaros grumbled. '_She wishes for a bunch of little brats?_'

'_Now now, Sempai,_' Urataros chided. '_Nodoka-chan has been wanting grandchildren for a long time apparently._'

'_I wonder why,_' Kintaros pondered before his snores began to echo in Ranma's head.

_'Yay! I'm gonna be an uncle!_' Ryutaros cheered.

"It figures," Ranma grumbled before he stood up. "I'm going to go and see what I can find."

"You won't have to," Tenma spoke up from his seat. All eyes turned to him, looking for an answer. "Those two Imagin that we fought are going to need some time to recover. They are also going to need to figure out how they are going to grant the wish so we have some time to get our own strength up before we have to hunt them down."

"So we have some time to think up of ways how they might try to grant the wish," Nabiki began to smirk. Was this guy really related to Ranma? "That's something at least. It will give us a head start too."

"That works for me," Ranma shrugged. He then took his seat at the table while everyone began trying to think of ways of how the two Imagin might try to grant Nodoka's wish and get to the past. All the while Ranma mentally asked himself for the umpteenth time just why his mother wanted grandchildren so badly.

-----**DenLiner**-----

"What is with that woman?!" Momotaros growled as he lounged in his seat. "All I got about her in Ranma's memories is 'manly' this and 'grandchildren' that. She's gone off the deep end if you ask me."

"Don't say that about Mama!" Ryutaros snapped while standing up and pointing at Momotaros.

"It's the truth!" Momotros yelled back.

Over at the bar, Naomi was watching with her usual amount of interest. Hana was right next to her as they watched the four Imagin talk about things that concerned them or their host. The new subject was a nice change since they were mostly complaining about Sieg these days. Still, from what she had heard about Nodoka from the Imagin, she was wondering just what was wrong with the woman. She had a seppuku contract with Ranma and Genma to kill themselves if he was unmanly? The terms of the contract were pretty unclear as well since it hadn't stated what a man amongst men was. Now all Nodoka seemed to be about was getting grandchildren even if Ranma wasn't legally married to the mothers. What was wrong with this woman?

"I do wonder," Kintaros pondered. "Is Nodoka unhappy with having Ranma as a son? Is that why she wants to have lots of grandchildren?"

"It makes one wonder," Urataros shrugged. "A woman like Nodoka can be either one of two things. She can either be one with no substance in her head since she married Genma and seems almost clueless towards his less than stellar traits, or she could be hiding her intelligence since she has modeled herself after the samurai lifestyle of years past."

"She's loony," Momotaros growled. "That just proves it."

"She is not!" Ryutaros defended.

"Well, we'll have to see now won't we?" asked Urataros as he stood up. He then walked towards the end of the car before vanishing in a haze of blue energy.

-----**Tendo Dojo**-----

Everyone had gone their separate ways for the time being. Tenma and Ranko said they were going back to where they were staying so they could get some rest. Deneb and Tamamos had gone with them. Nabiki had wanted to ask where Tenma had gotten the belt but he was tight-lipped about it, much to her annoyance. Kasumi had gone to see what she could recover for a meal while Nabiki began calling to get estimates on the repairs the house would need. Nodoka herself was calmly drinking tea, but her shaking hands showed how she really felt. Ranma himself was about to head to the roof to think before he felt one of his Imagin shoot to the surface and take over.

"Mind if I string you along?" Ranma Blue smiled as he tipped his glasses up and smoothed his blue-streaked hair. He placed his hands in his pockets and strolled calmly towards the living room where Nodoka was trying to calm herself.

'_What are you doing, Urataros?_' demanded Ranma.

"Just getting a few answers to some questions we have," Ranma Blue shrugged. "Calm down. It shouldn't be too bad."

'_This is my mom we're talking about!_' Ranma retorted. '_Say one thing wrong and she'll try to get us to commit seppuku just for being unmanly!_'

"Unmanly?" Ranma Blue chuckled as he repeated the word, finding it funny. "Ranma, I am a gentleman; nothing unmanly about that. You're still just stuck with your lazy father's idea of what a man is supposed to be. Just trust me my young host. Sit back and relax because you may just learn something."

Ranma was silent for a second but then sighed. '_Alright, fine, but don't flirt with my mom, OK? It's just weird if you do._'

Ranma Blue nodded. So Nodoka was untouchable, was she? Well, the blue Imagin always did love a good challenge.

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Nodoka was taking some deep breaths to calm herself. She had just been told a lot of information about what her son had been up to lately…and it frightened her. She knew that Ranma had been experienced in fighting supernatural foes if some of the stories Kasumi told her were true, but seeing that Imagin fighting her manly son and his friend truly frightened her. What made her feel even worse was that SHE was responsible for releasing it.

"Ah, hello, Nodoka-chan," a suave voice spoke from the entrance of the room.

Nodoka turned to see who was taking and was somewhat surprised to see her son standing in the door. The voice that she heard was most definitely not her son. Nodoka also took notice of his glasses and the blue streak in his hair. His styled hair was also quite noticeable. While Nodoka may not have been present for most of her son's life, even she was able to recognize changes in her baby boy.

"Hello to you too," Nodoka nodded. "Are you one of the Imagin residing within my son?"

"Why yes," Ranma Blue nodded as he stepped closer to the table. He quickly took a seat across from Nodoka. "Quite the observant one. I am called Urataros."

"I am pleased to meet you," Nodoka bowed politely. She smiled with some humor. "One does have to be observant when they deal with Genma on a constant basis."

"Oh I agree," Ranma Blue nodded with his usual charming smile. The smile only lasted for a moment before it became a frown and his voice became darker. "He is quite the slippery one. My three companions and I are not very fond of him at the moment."

"You aren't?" Nodoka blinked. "I realize Genma may have less than outstanding morals, but judging by the tone of your voice you make it sound as if you hate him."

"That is a rather accurate summary, Nodoka-chan," Ranma Blue answered, earning a gasp from the Saotome matriarch. Ranma Blue hated having to cause a woman like Nodoka distress, but it was unavoidable. "You have not been treated to the unedited view of the training journey."

Nodoka suddenly froze. Ranma Blue immediately blinked at her sudden immobility.

"You…you know everything that happened during that trip?" Nodoka asked with some trembling hands. Whether she was excited or afraid was still up in the air to the watchful eyes of the possessed young man.

"Everything," Ranma Blue nodded in confirmation.

"I see," Nodoka nodded. Her hands were still trembling. "Could you please tell me? Genma won't tell and I haven't been able to ask Ranma while the Tendos don't know. I truly wish to know what my son has done during those years we have been apart. Perhaps it will allow me to get closer to him."

"I will," Urataros nodded. "If you will answer some questions I have."

"Then please ask," Nodoka answered immediately. "I have nothing to hide and much to gain."

Ranma did not like how the situation was turning out. His mother looked like she was losing that calm face she always wore no matter what was happening around her. He wanted to tell Urataros to tone it down a little, but the Imagin wasn't going to hear of it.

'_Are you sure that we want to tell her about the trip?_' Ranma asked with some unease. '_I mean, fur is going to fly if she finds out about half of what Pop did._'

'_That's exactly why she deserves to know,_' Urataros replied. '_Genma probably hasn't told her because he knows he did things she would not approve of. One of these was never mention her to you and then when he couldn't avoid it, make you fear her because of the contract and how desperate he is to get you married to Akane. I believe that it is high time she learns more about her son._'

'_The turtle has a good idea for once,_' Momotaros grunted.

'_A mother should always know about her children,_' Kintaros agreed.

'_It would make Mama happy,_' Ryutaros nodded, sounding strangely calm.

"Now then," Ranma Blue began to speak. "Why do you wish for grandchildren so badly? Are you that dissatisfied with Ranma as a son?"

"NO!" Nodoka cried out, even dropping her sword along with her surprising outburst. The action itself was significant because Nodoka always had her sword on hand and never let it stray far from her grasp. Just letting drop showed how much her answer meant to her. "I was never once dissatisfied with how Ranma turned out! He is kind, skilled, honorable, and a number of other things which make me so proud to be his mother! Learning about his duties today has only made me more proud of him! He's putting his own well-being on the line to protect others! He is not perfect, but I do not care! He is the perfect son to me!"

'…_Mom?_' Ranma whispered out. He had never heard his mother talk like this before. She was actually proud of him? She thought so highly of him even after she saw the craziness of his life?

"Then why do you wish for so many grandchildren?" asked Ranma Blue.

"Two reasons. One is selfish while the other was more for Ranma's sake," Nodoka sniffed, wiping some tears which had leaked out of her eyes. "My own parents died when I was young. I was left alone with only servants to really spend any time with me. I was never any good at making friends since I had to act as a person befitting my status. I grew up so lonely. When I married Genma and had Ranma, I was so happy. I wanted to have more children, but then Genma brought up that training trip and took Ranma from me. Ten more years alone, this time with barely anyone since Genma had stolen from about everyone nearby and we had to lay low. I could only wait and hope that Ranma would have many friends growing up."

"So you wanted many grandchildren not only so you wouldn't be alone anymore, but also so Ranma would not be alone either," Ranma Blue finished, throwing his own two cents into the conversation. "Am I correct?"

"Yes," Nodoka shivered. For some reason, it felt good to finally say that. "I didn't want my baby boy to be lonely like I was."

'_Why hasn't she said this before?_' Ranma wondered.

'_The stupid stereotype!_' Momotaros growled. '_She couldn't say anything because of all this stuff about the proper housewife! Makes me glad I don't buy into that crap!_'

"Then what about the contract?" asked Ranma Blue. "Would you really have carried it out?"

"Never," Nodoka replied in a sad whisper. "I could never force my baby to do that. I'm not sure if you know, but it is very easy to make Genma do anything you want if you threaten him with bodily harm. Since I am a woman and he won't hit back, I can easily harm him. My idea was if I threaten him with death then I could be sure he would raise Ranma right."

'_She wasn't even going to go through with it?!_' Ranma cried internally. '_This is the last time I listen to Pop about this!_'

'_A clever ruse,_' Kintaros chuckled.

"A logical idea," Ranma Blue nodded. He didn't really have the heart to tell Nodoka that her idea failed miserably. Not yet anyway. "Then what about your fixation on manliness? We are under the impression that a manly person to you indulges in peeping on women, petty theft, and casual intimacy with women."

"My word!" Nodoka gasped. "What ever made you think that? What I consider manly is strength of will and the courage to do what is right no matter what. Those other things are just things I consider boys to do, a step in growing up. I know boys have needs at Ranma's age and I just gave him my blessing to see other girls should he feel the urge to get close to someone. Perversion and theft are not what I consider manly. I just consider them...intimate."

"Ahh, so you are into role play then," Ranma Blue snickered. Nodoka's cheeks turned bright crimson.

'_Role play?_' asked Ranma.

'_Huh?_' Ryutaros blinked.

"But what did make you think that that I found those things to be manly? Perhaps in being my husband, but it is nothing I consider part of being a man amongst men," asked Nodoka. She seemed to be genuinely perplexed.

"Well, your contract never specified what you found to be manly," Ranma Blue replied. "Genma seemed to fill in the gaps with what he assumed to be manly. That is where we got the idea of petty theft and peeking."

"But the contract does state what I find to be manly," Nodoka argued. "I placed it at the bottom of the contract as a footnote. Didn't any of you read it?"

Ranma Blue frowned slightly at Nodoka's admission. He looked through the memories that he held of the contract and any of the contact Ranma had with it, but found that there was surprisingly little. Ranma Blue began getting suspicious that Genma may be hiding something else.

"Sad to say that none of us had much time to look at Genma's copy of the contract since he refuses to bring it out," Ranma Blue frowned. "We will have to take a closer look at what Genma's copy actually says."

"Yes, we should then, shouldn't we?" Nodoka agreed. "In the meantime, can you tell me the whole story of what my husband has done to my son Ranma?"

Ranma Blue smiled. "Well, certainly. Let me tell you about the Neko-ken training…"

By the time Ranma Blue finished, Genma would not be able to show his face to Nodoka for a good long time.

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Meanwhile, Nabiki was up in her room with Tenma and Ranko. Deneb and Tamamos were also present, as they were both contracted Imagin of the two future Saotome children. The middle Tendo had secretly asked them to come there since she wanted some answers for herself. Sneaking past everyone allowed them to speak freely.

"So, you got a time train too, right?" Nabiki asked. "I mean, Ranma has his own so that means you got your own too."

Tenma chuckled. "Yeah, I do. You guessed it, Auntie Nabs."

"I told you never to call me that," Nabiki glowered.

"I know," Tenma replied. "I just love seeing that look on you face."

"Tenma, you really shouldn't call such a young lady 'auntie'," Deneb advised. "It would be considered very rude."

"Whatever, Deneb," Tenma sighed.

"So, does this train have a name?" Nabiki asked.

"The ZeroLiner!" Ranko piped up. "You should see it, Auntie Nabs! It's really cool!"

Nabiki smiled. She liked the little girl already. Maybe she had grown attached to the young tike. Well, technically she would be considered like family by the little girl. "ZeroLiner, huh? Can you tell me what your Rider form is called then?"

"It's Zeronos. Kamen Rider Zeronos," Tenma answered, knowing fully well where Nabiki was going with this. "And thanks again for thinking of the name 'Kamen Rider'. It really sounds a lot cooler that way."

"It was for marketing purposes, but thanks for the compliment," Nabiki said. So, another Rider…this could prove profitable. She had gained a lot of money through Den-O's growing popularity, so what was wrong with gaining more from Zeronos'? Tenma seemed to be able to see the gears in her head turning.

"Well, if you're gonna use Zeronos' image for profit, how about a cut for me?" Tenma suggested. Nabiki quirked an eyebrow. This kid was a lot smarter than Ranma. Must've gotten it from his mom, whoever that was. Well, Tenma wasn't going to tell her and she could understand why. If news got out, then there would be chaos coming from the Fiancée Brigade and the fathers.

"How does 10 percent sound?" Nabiki asked.

"How about we negotiate first before making a deal?" he asked back. Ranko looked between Nabiki and her brother. She sighed.

"What's with adults and money?" Ranko asked.

Tamamos explained to her young charge, "Money does make the world go round, Ranko-hime."

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"Zeronos?" Hana asked. "ZeroLiner?"

"Yes," Owner said as he ate some of his fried rice. "But I never expected to see the ZeroLiner again. It supposedly vanished along with your time."

Hana blinked. Did that mean that…Tenma and Ranko came from her time?

"But how did they get the ZeroLiner?" Hana asked again.

"The origins of the ZeroLiner are a mystery, Hana-kun," Owner replied. "If we wish for the answers, then let us question this young man, Tenma Saotome, who claims to be the son of our own Ranma."

Hana frowned. She headed towards the door. She was going to find out the answers for herself. As the door slammed shut, the flag in Owner's plate of fried rice tipped over. "Oh, no!" he gasped, placing his palms to his face.

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Nodoka sat very still as Urataros finished telling the tale of Ranma's upbringing. Ranma Blue was very thorough as he told of several exploits in which Genma had risked Ranma's life or had done something that she would definitely not approved of. She heard the tales of the speed training in which Ranma had to protect his meal before Genma stole it all and let him starve, the Neko-ken, how Ranma ended up being engaged to Ukyo, Shampoo, and quite possibly other girls that Ranma had no idea about. Ranma Blue even spoke about their exploits as Den-O, which lifted her mood slightly, but not by much.

"What kind of mother am I?" Nodoka whimpered. "To let my baby be abused like that in the name of training?"

"Now, now, Nodoka-chan," Ranma Blue spoke soothingly. "You did nothing wrong. Genma had promised you and as expected, he slipped through a loophole."

"But," Nodoka sputtered.

"Ranma has grown into a fine young man who is much beyond Genma's manipulations," Ranma Blue continued. "He has become a man amongst men like you had hoped. He may be rough around the edges, but I think that is where a mother's touch is needed."

Nodoka smiled with tears leaking to her eyes. The Imagin possessing her son was correct. Ranma may have proven to be a true man, but he had so much further to go. Perhaps Urataros was right and she should become more involved in her son's life.

"Thank you," she smiled as the tears welled in her eyes. "Please continue to honor my son with your friendship."

"I promise, Nodoka-chan," Ranma Blue smiled.

Inside his own mind, Ranma was now feeling very conflicted. He had never seen his mother so emotional save for when they were finally reunited. He had long since figured that his father's training methods were strange, but they were quick and effective. Seeing his mother gasp in shock and almost scream in terror made him try to figure out just how they were so terrible to other people. She looked ready to blow when Ranma Blue had told her about how he got engaged to so many girls. Right now, Ranma was desperately trying to figure out just how much of his world could be taken at face value after seeing the true face of his mother.

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Meanwhile, the Grasshopper and Black Ant Imagin were both standing in front of a hospital building. Both exchanged grins as they were ready to grant their contract holder's wish. There would be a lot of newborns so it was only a matter of grabbing at least one of those little brats for Nodoka before going into her past to do some damage.

"Let's do this!" the Grasshopped Imagin said.

"Yes!" the Ant Imagin agreed.

Both Imagin nodded to each other before they began a running charge at the hospital. The Ant Imagin took the lead before he smashed right through the doors. It escaped his notice that they were automatic, but at that point it didn't really matter anymore nor did the Imagin care.

Nurses and patients screamed and cried out as they tried to get away from the monster which had suddenly busted in the front door. The Grasshopper Imagin strolled inside at his own pace and chuckled as he reached the reception desk. He found a secretary cowering behind the front desk.

"Where are the babies kept in here?" the Grasshopper Imagin demanded while raising his weapon.

"Waagh!" the secretary screamed as she tried to get up and run. She was met with the black armor of the Ant Imagin as it cut off her escape.

"He asked you a question!" the Ant Imagin growled as he hefted his shovel over his shoulder.

"Third floor!" the secretary whimpered. "Big sheet of glass looking on the babies. You can't miss it!"

"Thank you," the Grasshopper Imagin nodded before he walked away laughing. The Ant Imagin laughed as well as they left the whimpering secretary on the floor.

The Two Imagin wandered up through the hospital in their search for a grandchild for their contract holder. Doctors and nurses alike screamed and ran away from them. Many patients were left where they lay but the Imagin just ignored them. Children's screams mixed with the adult ones as they reached the children's wing.

"Just where are those little brats?" the Ant Imagin growled as it searched. It was tempted to just smash through a couple of walls and try his luck.

"Found them," the Grasshopper Imagin called from around a corner. The Ant Imagin walked to where his companion was standing and they found themselves looking through some glass into a room with dozens of cradles with babies inside of them.

"The question is," the Grasshopper Imagin chuckled. "How many would Nodoka like?"

"Let's just grab one and see," the Ant Imagin sighed. "We can always get more later."

"Agreed," the Grasshopper Imagin nodded.

The two creatures from the future found the door to the nursery and found it locked. The Ant Imagin just pried it open with its shovel. Numerous wails started coming as the babies made their discomfort known. The Two Imagin didn't bat an eye as they stormed into the room.

"Which one?" asked the Ant Imagin as it tried to decide.

"Mothers like girls more generally," the Grasshopper Imagin shrugged. It looked to see a baby girl who couldn't have been more than a few days old. She hadn't even been named yet. "This one will do nicely!"

The Grasshopper Imagin reached down to the wailing infant and picked her up in her blanket. It was being uncharacteristically gentle since there would be problems if the child got injured before they could deliver it to their contract holder.

"Good. Now let's deliver the brat and go!" the Ant Imagin sighed as it began heading for the door.

"Agreed," the Grasshopper Imagin nodded. They then rushed out of the hospital through where they came in. Soon, a news report will broadcast about a monster attack as well as a kidnapping.

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In the DenLiner, Momotaros jumped up to his feet, "Those bugs just made their move!" He cracked his knuckles, "Good, time for me to show me at my climax!" With that, the oni-like Imagin vanished into a haze of red energy.

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As Ranma Blue and Nodoka were talking, Urataros was suddenly rudely shoved out of Ranma's body so that Momotaros could take up residence. Nodoka witnessed as the glasses and blue streak of hair on her son vanished only to be replaced with unruly hair with a red streak in it. His eyes also shifted from blue to red.

"Ore Sanjou!" Ranma Red announced his arrival. Nodoka noticed that this must be another one of her son's Imagin friends. He seemed to be loud and very similar to her son. "Woman, that Imagin you contracted has just made its move!" Ranma Red said rather rudely.

Nodoka gasped, "Really?"

"Yeah, that means they are coming right here!" Ranma Red smirked. "And it's high time I have a rematch."

The door on the side of the living room burst open as the two insect Imagin kicked it. In the Ant Imagin's arms, crying out loud, was the baby girl they had kidnapped. The little thing was wailing and the Ant Imagin was half tempted to kill it just to make it shut up but its Grasshopper Imagin half had advised him countless times to just ignore it so they could complete their contract.

"Here's your brat!" the Ant Imagin shouted as he threw the baby. Ranma Red gaped in shock at how the Imagin was treating the kid. Nodoka's eyes widened at how reckless the two Imagin were being with the small baby.

Suddenly, Hana arrived and jump in to grab the little rugrat before it got hurt. She managed to keep it from falling badly. Before long, the little one managed to stop crying, finding that it enjoyed being in this woman's arms.

"Now, contract complete!" However, both Imagin were suddenly sent flying out of the house by Ranma Red's fists.

"Oi, Stinky Flower Woman," Ranma Red grinned. "Thanks for the save."

"Yeah, whatever," Hana grumbled as she held onto the baby protectively. Nodoka, though shocked, decided to ask.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Hana, a friend of Ranma's, Mrs. Saotome," Hana bowed. "Now, come on, we need to get out of here."

"But-" Nodoka began to protest. Hana, however, insisted that they run so that Nodoka wouldn't get hurt.

"Don't worry," Hana assured her. "Momo and Ranma can handle it."

"Don't get in our way, Den-O!" the Grasshopper Imagin said as it got up.

"Because we'll kill you!" the Ant Imagin added.

"Well, let's see you try!" Ranma Red said as he got out the Terminal Belt. As he was walking towards the door, Tenma appeared from the stairway with his own belt wrapped around his waist with one of his cards at the ready.

"Is this a private party, Momo-nii, or can anybody join?" Tenma asked, smirking.

"Fine, brat, but leave me the fun part!" Ranma Red said as he strapped on the belt and pressed the red button. "Henshin!" He waved the Hyper Pass over the buckle.

"Henshin!" Tenma called as he slid the card into his belt buckle.

"**Sword Form!**"

"**Altair Form!**"

There was a flash of light as both young men were wrapped in their respective suits of armor. The pieces which composed of their thicker armor appeared around them before connecting to their bodies. The peach slid down Den-O's face before locking into place while the mooing bull heads did the same for Zeronos. The peach split in half becoming Den-O's eyes as the bull heads reconfigured themselves to become Zeronos' horned visor.

"Ore sanjou!" Den-O SF stated gruffly.

"I'll say this from the beginning," Zeronos AF spoke. "I am very strong!"

Both insect-like Imagin were now getting fed up. It wasn't enough that they had to deal with Den-O, but this new Rider was making their jobs even more difficult to do. Well, they weren't about to be taken down when they were so close to finishing their job. This was no time to be Rider smashing even though they were sorely tempted to do just that.

"We don't have time for you, Den-O!" the Grasshopper Imagin spat.

"We have a job to do!" the Ant Imagin roared.

"Well tough!" Den-O SF grunted as he cracked his knuckles in anticipation of a good fight. "'Cause there's no way you're getting past me without a fight!"

"Heh," Zeronos AF snorted. "I've never turned down a fight; especially when there's a good reason for it. Try your luck, gentlemen!"

Both bug Imagin snarled before charging at the two Riders with their weapons drawn. Both Riders were quick to assemble their own weapons before they charged forward to attack the two Imagin. The two Riders were quick to swing their blades for a slash when their targets moved yet again.

"Hup!" the Imagin cried out as the Grasshopper Imagin leaped over Den-O SF while the Ant Imagin rolled past Zeronos AF. They both got to their feet again before they took a running charge towards the Tendo home, and Nodoka.

Off at the stairway, the familiar mop of red hair which belonged to little Ranko was watching the fight. She was hoping to see her big brother in action again since she looked up to him and enjoyed watching him beat up bad Imagin. Deneb and Tamamos were both with her, making sure that she didn't get hurt. Nabiki was with them too, but she was snapping pictures of the two Riders.

"Gramma! Auntie Hana!" The young Saotome cried out as she witnessed the two Imagin get past her future father and big brother.

The two Imagin stretched out their arms towards Nodoka before snapping their fingers. Nodoka suddenly stiffened before her body split down the middle with a green portal appearing in the space between the two paths. The two Imagin nodded before they leaped forward and dove into the portal before Nodoka's two halves came back together.

"Nodoka!" Hana gasped as she got closer to the woman. She was able to hold the baby in one arm before pulling out one of the blank tickets she carried.

"Gramma!" Ranko cried before she ran over to the older woman. Nodoka was dazed and just staring into empty space. The little girl likewise reached into her pocket and pulled out a blank ticket of her own that had a green border.

Both tickets got an image of one of the two Imagin on it as a date appeared. The date was thankfully the same: March 12 1991.

"Onii-chan!" Ranko cried as she ran to her brother with the ticket. "Here!"

Ranma leaned down and took the ticket from Ranko and checked the date. He looked at the date and then turned to Den-O SF.

"This is Pop's birthday," he reported.

"Eh?" Den-O SF blinked behind his visor.

Zeronos AF jogged up to Nodoka and kneeled before her. He took the ticket and held it up for the Saotome matriarch.

"Excuse me," he spoke. "But I need to know what happened on this day."

"Hm?" Nodoka blinked. Her eyes softened as she seemed to remember that day. "Oh yes. That was the day I named Ranma."

-----**Flashback**-----

_Nodoka was humming a soft lullaby to the small baby wrapped in a blue blanket being held in her arms. She was still sore from giving birth, but she was well enough to take the small baby boy out to the courtyard where the beautiful gardens were kept. The baby's immune system was strong if what the doctors said was true._

_The newborn made a small noise, indicating that he was hungry again. Nodoka smiled as she walked to a bench so that she could feed her little one properly. He was so energetic for someone who was just born._

_She knew exactly what to call such a little child. She wanted to talk over her choice with Genma, but he was too busy getting drunk with his best friend Soun for some reason or another. When he was told he had a son he cheered loudly and made a terrible ruckus. He was well on his way out when he actually went to meet his son. He kept mumbling something about schools and other nonsense so she didn't really pay much mind._

"_I know exactly what to call such a little bundle of energy," she smiled as she looked down at the little boy who was eager to be fed._

"_I will name you Ranma," Nodoka smiled. "Ranma Saotome."_

-----**End Flashback**-----

'_That's her strongest memory?_' Ranma asked with some shock. He was half-expecting her strongest memory to be when she met his father or something along those lines.

"What are we waiting for?" Den-O SF growled as he snatched his ticket out of Hana's hand. "Ikuzo!"

"Right," Zeronos AF nodded. He turned his gaze over to where the two Imagin he was friends with her staying out of the way. "Deneb! Let's go."

"Right!" Deneb nodded as he stood straight and waked towards Zeronos AF. When he was at the door of the house, he turned and bowed to everyone politely. "Thank you for your hospitality."

"Come on, Deneb!" Zeronos AF cried as he yanked his Imagin out of the house. He turned his attention back to the remaining Imagin in the house. "Tamamos, Keep an eye on Ranko until I get back."

"Of course, Tenma-sama," Tamamos nodded as she stepped daintily over to the little girl in question. "Happy hunting."

Both Riders moved outside the Tendo property to get to the past. As they got into the clear, a loud whistle caught their attention before a familiar vortex opened up and the DenLiner came cruising into the street with tracks appearing in front of it.

"Come on!" Den-O SF called as he leaped on board.

"Thanks," Zeronos AF shrugged. "But I'll wait for my own train."

"Huh?" Den-O SF suddenly froze. He was about to rage again, but the sounds of a loud horn echoing through the air cut him off.

A second portal opened before a long black train came out of it. Den-O SF gaped at the train which came out. The first car was black with a green bull head which was adorned with two yellow horns. Steam poured from the bull's snout. The second car was black with yellow adornment sand a hawk's head on the front.

"Say hello to ZeroLiner," Zeronos AF introduced. He then dragged his Imagin over to the doorway and the two of them boarded.

The ZeroLiner then gave off a loud honk before it chugged off into another portal.

"Hey!" Den-O SF cried as he raced to the front of the DenLiner. "Don't think you can hog the glory brat!"

The DenLiner then gave off a whistle before it went off into its own portal.

**-----------March 12 1991-----------**

Nadoka was singing a lullaby to her infant son, Ranma, when she noticed sand falling out of her clothes. She watched curiously as the sand collected in front of her into two piles. Her curiosity turned into horror as she watched the piles turn into the two insect Imagin, the Black Ant and the Green Grasshopper.

"Now to do some damage!" the Ant Imagin announced.

"And we'll start with the brat before he becomes Den-O!" the Grasshopper Imagin cried, pointing at Nodoka who was cradling the infant.

"No, stay away!" Nodoka shouted, reaching for her katana blade but the Ant Imagin threw his shovel at her, forcing her to draw her hand back.

"Sorry, lady, but request denied," the Grasshopper Imagin said as he prepared to play a fatal song.

Suddenly, two portals formed in the air and the two Imagin looked up to see both the DenLiner and ZeroLiner racing out of them. The two Riders then leapt out of their respective trains to stand in between the two Imagin and their targets.

"Hey, you know how troubling it was to go after you," Den-O SF said. "It wasn't easy."

"Which is why we're here to take care of you dorks once and for all," Zeronos AF said. Deneb then came out of his body and approached Nodoka.

"Madam, please, come with me," Deneb said to Nodoka, who was still frozen on the spot due to shock. "It's not safe here for you or your son."

"My…son…?" Nodoka spoke, now remembering her baby in her arms. She didn't know who this strange creature was but she felt that she could trust him. Deneb then led her over to an enclosed space away from the battle. She held her newborn child protectively to her chest.

"Everything will be okay," Deneb nodded. He then turned to the battle which was heating up.

"Die, Den-O!" the Grasshopper Imagin cried as he swung at the red Rider. Den-O SF brought up his sword, fully assembled, and blocked thee attack.

"Heh, not today," Den-O SF snorted. He knocked the violin back and laid a punch into the Grasshopper Imagin's gut. The green Imagin was knocked back.

"Risking a kid's life! That's real low!" Den-O SF growled as he pulled the Grasshopper Imagin up by his antennae before head-butting him. "That puts me at my climax real fast!"

Nodoka continued to cradle her crying son as she watched the red armored fellow fight. He seemed to be a rather rough individual, but she could tell that he had a heart of gold.

'_Sempai_,' Urataros spoke up. '_You aren't the only one who wants to cast a line into this fight. He caused Nodoka-chan considerable distress and I plan to correct that._'

"What?!" Den-O SF cried out. "No way! This guy's mine!"

Den-O SF's right arm suddenly stiffened and began to tremble. It reached down to his belt and managed to press the blue button, turning the emblem blue and bringing the new tune out. As much as he was fighting it, Den-O SF brought out his Hyper Pass and swiped it across his belt.

"**Rod Form!** The belt cried before the armor flew off of Den-O's body. It reconfigured into the blue form before reattaching as a turtle slid down his face and became his visor.

"Mind if I string you along?" Den-O RF asked as he began disassembling the DenGasher.

"No you can't!" the Grasshopper Imagin roared before he charged at the new Den-O.

"So rude," Den-O RF commented before he lay a single kick down on the Imagin. It was sent stumbling back as Den-O RF began assembling his weapon again.

The Grasshopper Imagin came to a stop near a pair of doors. It struggled to get to its feet but it suddenly became distracted as the doors opened and a pair of nurses came walking out. The two young women both took on look at the Grasshopper Imagin and began to scream.

"Shut up!" the Grasshopper Imagin roared before it aimed to silence the two. He wasn't able to fire his attack when he was kicked solidly in the side by Den-O RF.

"You ladies shouldn't be here," Den-O RF commented as he finished assembling his weapon. "Beauty such as yours shouldn't be seen in battles such as this."

Den-O RF then marched forward to fight the Grasshopper Imagin. He didn't need to check back to see the two young women blushing and watching him go dreamily.

Meanwhile, Zeronos AF has just assembled his ZeroGasher in its saber mode and swinging at the Ant Imagin. The Ant Imagin avoided a few of the swings but grew careless before he was stabbed in the gut. It hissed before swinging its shovel at Zeronos AF who dodged each swipe. Zeronos AF then kicked the weapon out of his opponent's hands and then slashed at him repeatedly with his sword, sending sparks flying. He then grabbed the Ant Imagin by the antennae and held on them firmly as he relentlessly attacked with swords swiped that caused the Imagin to scream out in pain.

Deneb, seeing this, grew distressed. "Tenma, wait!" Deneb shouted as he ran over to separate the green Rider from his foe. This interference caused Zeronos to let go of the Ant Imagin as Deneb knocked into him, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Deneb!" Zeronos AF shouted as he grabbed Deneb by the shoulder and began shaking him roughly. "I almost had him! Why did you have to mess it up!?"

"But, Tenma!" Deneb protested. "Fighting like that isn't exactly fair!"

"Fair! He's a freakin Imagin!" Zeronos AF shouted. Deneb didn't seem fazed.

"Regardless, you must learn to treat your opponents with honor and respect. Your father was telling you that since you started martial arts."

Zeronos AF stiffened slightly. He then looked to the ground and sighed. "Fine…let's do it your way."

"Roger!" Deneb saluted before he stood behind Zeronos AF as he drew out his card and turned it over to reveal the side with the yellow patterns. He then pushed the switch on his belt and slid the card back in. The lines on the buckle connected with the card to create a glowing yellow 'V'.

"**Vega Form!**" the belt announced as Deneb placed his hands onto Zeronos' shoulders to form cannons as his visor vanished. Thicker black armor covered his chest as Deneb vanished into his body. A panel on the chest opened and Deneb's face popped out. Finally, a drill slid over the face, spinning, before it split apart into a star-shaped visor with round red eyes. A cape hung from his back as well.

Den-O RF sent the Grasshopper Imagin tumbling with a kick to see the change. "Hmm?" he blinked as he turned to see Zeronos VF.

'_He changed_,' Ranma admired.

Zeronos VF hefted his large sword onto his shoulder before he announced, "Let me tell you this for starters…"

"Not again…" the Ant Imagin groaned as he was about to hear Zeronos' speech again.

Zeronos VF continued, "The face on my chest is only a decoration."

The reaction this got was all the other people in the battle, Rider and Imagin alike, to facefault.

"Hah!?" the Ant Imagin let out in annoyance.

'_What's with this guy!?_' Momotaros let out. He was still angry about being shunted out of a fight.

'_Idiot, what are you saying!?_" Tenma shouted.

"But, Tenma," Zeronos VF replied, "We shouldn't deceive others. It isn't nice."

'_No one is stupid enough to believe a person's face can be on their chest!_'

"I guess you have a point," Zeronos VF nodded.

"Hey, are you ignoring me!?" the Ant Imagin roared angrily.

Zeronos VF turned his attention towards the Ant Imagin. "Oh, please forgive me. I am sorry but I was in a conversation with Tenma. Speaking of which, I apologize on his behalf for using underhanded tricks." Zeronos VF bowed, "I know if he could he would say the same thing."

'_Not bloody likely_!' Tenma cried. '_Now can we please beat this thing before he kills my dad and grandma?_'

"Oh, right!" Zeronos VF nodded. He then gripped the ZeroGasher and took a ready stance.

"I'm going to crush you!" the Ant Imagin roared.

The Ant Imagin charged at Zeronos VF with his shovel raised. Zeronos VF raised his own blade and the two fighters collided. Sparks flew from the two weapons as the steel made impact. Both warriors grunted from the force they were putting behind their weapons. Zeronos VF used a cross punch to knock the Ant Imagin backwards.

Acting quickly, Zeronos VF disconnected the handle of the ZeroGasher and returned the blade to a smaller size. He flipped the handle around and attached it back to the blade again. He gripped the blade section and pulled the centre, letting the sides open up and letting the tip point forward. There was a flash of light before the weapon grew into a large bowgun.

"Take this!" the Ant Imagin roared as he hurled his shovel at Zeronos VF.

"Woah!" Zeronos VF cried as he ducked underneath the oncoming projectile. He also fired at the Ant Imagin at the same time. The blasts impacted the Ant Imagin, knocking it silly as it stumbled backward.

"Whew. That almost hit me," Zeronos VF sighed in relief.

"AHHHH!" a female voice cried out.

Zeronos VF turned to the source of the voice and he blanched when he saw that Nodoka was about to be crushed by some falling rubble. The shovel had struck the wall and caused it crack. It had also snagged Nodoka's clothes, forcing her to remain where she was. Sections of wall were ready to fall on her.

'_Grandma!_' Tenma cried.

"Nodoka-dono!" Zeronos VF cried. He completely forgot about the Imagin as he charged towards the distressed woman and the baby which would one day become the father of his contract holder.

Nodoka looked up to the sections of wall which were about to fall. A particularly large piece of the masonry finally came loose from the wall. Nodoka was too terrified to scream as she watched it came down upon her.

Her vision was filled with shadow, but not because of the slab of wall. Her vision was blocked by the image of Zeronos VF. The possessed Rider was managing to hold the large piece of masonry up, but he was struggling in the act of just keeping it up.

"Urg!" Zeronos VF grunted under the strain. He turned to look at Nodoka. "Can you…move?"

"No!" Nodoka sobbed as she struggled to get unhooked from the shovel. "I'm stuck!"

Zeronoz VF looked over to Den-O, who had shifted to Axe Form sometime during the fight. The Grasshopper Imagin was keeping Den-O AF's full attention on him. The Ant Imagin was due to be getting up pretty soon.

"Hnn!" Zeronos VF huffed. "I can't…hold this…forever!"

'_Damn! I won't let anything happen to grandma!_' Tenma growled in his head. '_Deneb! We'll have to use __**that**__ technique!_'

"Roger!" Zeronos VF nodded with some strain. "**Full Synchro!**"

Zeronos VF's body was slowly engulfed in a large green aura. It seemed to engulf his entire body. Zeronos VF's body seemed t get stronger as he managed to toss the slab of stone off of him and onto the ground. He slowly turned to face Nodoka as the aura began to become absorbed into his armor. His chest armor had taken on green highlights on the edges while the face mask had turned from red and silver to green and silver with the eyes actually glowing with green power. His shoulder cannons were still mostly silver, but the former black sections had green on them now. His black cape which was on his back had silver highlights near the neck and shoulders.

"Don't worry," Zeronos FS spoke before he yanked the shovel out of the wall with almost no effort. "There. You'd better run. This excitement can't be good for the baby."

Nodoka nodded before she checked to see that her newborn child was still well. Seeing that he was still fine, she immediately went for the doorway out of the way of danger.

"What the-!?" the Grasshopper Imagin gasped as he saw this new Zeronos standing tall and facing both himself and his recovering brother.

"Eh?" Den-O AF grunted as he caught a glimpse of the changed Rider.

'_What the heck did they do?_' Ranma asked incredulously. '_I can feel their ki from here. It's weird though._'

"Weird?" asked Den-O AF.

'_I know that there are two of them at least,_' Ranma frowned internally. '_But I can't tell them apart. It's like they are one person._'

"I'll say this from the start," Zeronos FS spoke. He pointed at where the two Imagin were "I'll play by the rules and I'll still defeat you!" The only difference in his voice now, if anyone noticed, was that it was Tenma and Deneb's voices mixed together, like they were talking as one.

"I'm getting tired of you!" the Ant Imagin roared as it charged directly at Zeronos FS.

"Ha!" Zeronos FS cried as he charged forward with his ZeroGasher in hand. He raised his projectile weapon and fired several shots at the Ant Imagin, causing it to stumble again. It was distracted through, which allowed Zeronos FS to get up close to the Ant Imagin with a raised fist.

"KACHU TENSHIN AMAGURIKEN!" Zeronos FS cried before his fist became a blur of motion. The Ant Imagin was punched several times that were too fast to see before one final punch sent it flying away and landing in a head.

'_No way!_' Ranma cried. '_Where'd he learn the Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken?_'

'_He's your son, Ranma, remember?_' asked Urataros with some humor. '_I assume it was you who taught him._'

"Most impressive," Den-O AF commented as he blocked a strike from the Grasshopper Imagin.

'_Kuma-chan!_' Ryutaros called out. '_I wanna turn! He almost hurt Mama and Ranma Nii-chan! I wanna fight him!_'

"Hmph," Kintaros nodded before he cracked his neck. He punched the grasshopper Imagin backwards before standing straight. "Very well."

Den-O AF reached to his belt and pressed the purple button, which called up the techno tune. He summoned his Hyper Pass before swiping it over his belt buckle.

"**Gun Form!**" the belt cried before detaching the outer armor and bringing it into the Gun Form configuration. A purple dragon slid down Den-O's face before reconfiguring into a purple visor.

"Mind of I destroy you now?" Den-O GF asked as he began to put the DenGasher into his preferred form. "I don't hear an answer!"

"No you can't!" the Grasshopper Imagin growled before he began another charge.

"Too bad!" Den-O GF laughed before he finished his gun and started firing shots.

Impact after impact rained down on the Grasshopper Imagin. The force of the shots forced it backwards as it cried out in pain with every blow. Den-O GF was his own mad whirlwind of twists and turns as he danced forward to keep the heat on the green Imagin who was his opponent.

"Boom!" the purple Rider laughed with a final shot which knocked the Imagin over and let it tumble right next to his brother.

"Not bad, Ryu-nii," Zeronos FS nodded as he walked over to stand next to his fellow Rider. "But I want to end this fight."

"Okay!" Den-O GF nodded. "I was kinda bored anyway."

Den-O GF summoned his Hyper Pass yet again before he brought it down to pass in front of his buckle again. Zeronos FS pressed a button on his own belt.

"**Full Charge!**" the two belts cried out.

Den-O GF began to take aim as purple streams of energy began flying from his belt and into his gun. Zeronos FS pulled his card from his belt and punched it into his Bowgun which caused yellow beams of energy to flow into the weapon.

Both of the Imagin were slowly getting up. Of course, they didn't immediately see what was happening in front of them before they heard both Riders pull their respective triggers.

A purple ball of energy flew from Den-O GF's weapon before it collided with the Grasshopper Imagin. The green Imagin exploded on impact from the blast. Zeronos FS fired a 'V' from his own weapon that collided with the Ant Imagin and left a 'V' imprinted on it before it fell over and likewise exploded into an inferno.

"Yeah!" Den-O GF cheered as he danced in victory.

"Not bad if I do say so," Zeronos FS nodded to himself.

-----**Present**-----

Both Ranma and Tenma both were dropped off outside the Tendo property. The two boys both leaped off of their respective trains before they walked into the yard.

"How did you do that fusion thing with Deneb?" Ranma asked with burning curiosity. If Tenma could do it then so could he!

"It's called Full Synchro," Tenma explained. "It allowed me and Deneb to combine our power. It's a good thing me and Deneb are friends or else we wouldn't be able to use it."

"Yeah, but how do you do it?" Ranma pressed.

Tenma looked blankly at his future parent for a while, "Jeez, Pop, I just said it how you told me. You didn't seem this dense back home. Maybe Mom rubbed off you after all."

"She did?" Ranma asked, now feeling a little curious. Maybe he could learn a little about who Tenma and Ranko's mother was. "How do you think?"

"How about manners?" Tenma laughed. "Mom scolded you something fierce every time you forgot them."

"COME BACK HERE, GENMA!" Nodoka yelled.

"AH, NO-CHAN! WAIT! I CAN EXPLAIN!"

The two Saotomes then turned towards the property to see Genma barreling out with his tail between his legs as Nodoka gave chase with her sword. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SON!?"

Tenma and Ranma looked to each other and shrugged. By now nothing would surprise the two Riders. Both young men decided to just let the married Saotome couple tire themselves out while Nodoka got some steam out of her system with a good Genma bashing. It always made Ranma feel better.

"What's with Grandma?" asked Tenma as he and Ranma walked into the house. They were met with Kasumi, Nabiki, and Ranko who were seated at the table. On the table itself were two worn pieces of paper. They seemed identical with a written signature and a handprint, but one was noticeably longer than the other.

"Gramma's mad at Grandpa because he fibbed about the contract," Ranko explained.

"He lied," Ranma sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Get this," Nabiki smirked as she held up Nodoka's copy. "It says right here on the bottom what Auntie sees as manly attributes.

"Really?" Ranma blinked. He strolled up to the table and took a seat while snagging the contract. "Let's see then."

It was a small list that was written at the bottom of the contract. It was surprisingly short, but Ranma figured that if it was short then it wouldn't be that hard to try and live up to.

'_this refers as to what the contract holder, Nodoka Saotome, considers to be what is considered manly behavior and shouldn't least be attempted to be taught to one Ranma Saotome during the course of his training journey._

_1.He has a fiery passion for battle, but remembers what the reason for battle is in the first place._

_2.Being calm and collected at all times, but a certain touch with women is considered a plus._

_3.Easily shows his strength when it is needed, but is also able to tell when his strength isn't enough or the strength of another is needed._

_4.Has a playful outlook on life and enjoys having fun with whatever he does, even battle.'_

Ranma blinked as he read those suggestions. It didn't sound all that complicated, but where had he heard about guys with those qualities?

'_Hey!_' Momotaros grinned. '_It seems we're men amongst men!_'

'_I already knew that, Sempai,_' Urataros spoke calmly. '_I fulfill Nodoka-chan's views of manhood quite easily.'_

'_We have proven our mettle!_' Kintaros spoke happily before cracking his neck.

'_Does this mean Mama will like me more?_' Ryutaros asked hopefully. '_I don't hear an answer!_'

Ranma blanched when he heard his friends talking. His mother actually wanted him to be more like them? Well, with the way they possessed him constantly, he was probably going to pick up a thing or two from them anyway.

To Be Continued...

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this new chapter. For those of you wondering about Legendary Celestial Warriors, I have managed to recover the data on it thanks to a friend of mine. It shouldn't be too much longer before it's updated.


	13. Beginning of Unity

Ranma was in the dojo, sitting cross-legged as he closed his eyes

I do not own Kamen Rider Den-O nor do I own Ranma. I am only writing this for fun. I am not getting paid for this…which sucks since writing would be my dream job.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 13: Beginning of Unity

Ranma was in the dojo, sitting cross-legged as he closed his eyes. A few days ago he had encountered his future children. Also, his mother had discovered his secret as Den-O and, fortunately, swore to keep that information a secret. Nodoka was one of the few people he trusted, aside from Kasumi and, ironically, Nabiki. There was no way he could trust his dad or Mr. Tendo who would definitely manipulate the DenLiner to their own ends, demanding Ranma use it to help them in the name of honor. There was also the issue of the information getting to the rivals who would definitely use it to eliminate Ranma, which was a moot point since Ranma, being a singularity point, could not be erased from time despite the interference of others. Also, there was Akane and she fell under the same category. It was also dangerous for the fiancées to find out about this secret since they would try to use the DenLiner to make him theirs, regardless of the consequences. Finally, Ranma had to be wary of Cologne and Happosai. Cologne was already aware of the Imagin possessing Ranma and Happosai may take advantage of the DenLiner, doing irreparable damage on the timeline if he was allowed to. Thank goodness there was Naomi, Hana and Owner aboard.

Currently, Ranma was trying to practice a technique he'd discovered when he had fought side by side with Tenma. It was known as Full Synchro and it allowed both the host and Imagin to fight as one person. It was different from the usual possession with the Imagin being primarily in control. Instead, the consciousness of both parties would be fully synchronised, mixed together, and balanced to create a powerful warrior. The reason? Ranma wanted to take a more active role in fighting the evil Imagin and relying too much on the Taros' help may just impair his fighting skills if he didn't exercise once in a while.

Ranma mentally summoned them, '_Momotaros, Urataros, Kintaros, Ryutaros, come here.' _In an instant, sand began to fall out of his clothes and pile up around him before the sands shifted, collecting into four different piles which then formed humanoid features.

"Ore Sanjou!"

"May I string you along?"

"My strength will make you cry!"

"Are we going to play now? I don't hear an answer!"

Opening his eyes, Ranma smiled at the collective Imagin, in their sand bodies. The upper half of their bodies rose up from the floor while their lower halves and legs hung above them. This was okay since now Ranma could speak with them eye-to-eye.

"OK, guys," Ranma said. "Remember when Tenma used that Full Synchro thing of his?"

"Oh, yeah! That kid can sure show off his climax!" Momotaros said excitedly. Tenma could kick butt and that made him okay in the red Imagin's book.

"Yes, I believe that it was also quite impressive," Urataros said, tapping his forehead.

"His strength almost made me cry!" Kintaros commented, crossing his arms.

"He became very strong, onii-chan!" Ryutatos said with chuckles. "Yeah!"

"OK, guys, here's the plan," Ranma said as he explained to them what he was going to do.

The Full Synchro technique seemed pretty basic in concept, but a whole lot more in execution. It called for harmony between the host and the Imagin that they were hoping to fuse with. Tenma wasn't exactly forward with the technique, but had dropped a hint about how being friends with his Imagin partner Deneb had been instrumental in his being able to pull it off. Despite his academic shortcomings, Ranma could think fast and deeply when it came to martial arts. With this mind, he figured out that he and his Imagin needed to have a deep link

Ranma's plan was to work with meditation along with his Imagin. Since they already had a connection, Ranma hoped is meditation would be able to strengthen it to the point of a Full Synchro. It was a hasty plan, but Ranma wanted to learn this technique and Tenma was still being tight-lipped about how the technique actually worked.

"Okay," Ranma nodded. "Are we clear about this?"

"Sure,"

"Of course,"

"Hai!"

"Yeah!"

"Great," Ranma grinned. He returned to his lotus position, and closed his eyes. "Then let's show everyone we can do this too."

* * *

Inside the Tendo home, the Tendo family was enjoying their lunch. Nabiki and Kasumi were both eating as normal and Akane was out with her friends again. Soun was reading his newspaper again while Genma was trying to eat without making his wounds worse. Nodoka had been very displeased when she found out all the things he had done with Ranma AND ignored the end of the contract on what she considered manly. Of course, Genma claimed that part was torn off in an accident and he had to try and go by memory. Nabiki personally didn't believe him. She thought it was more likely he got rid of that part so he could raise Ranma the way he wanted, which was probably so he would do whatever he was told. Apparently Genma failed at that like he did at matchmaking and trying to get rid of Happosai.

"Does anyone know where Ranma is?" asked Kasumi. "It isn't like him to miss lunch."

'_He took the other four with him,_' Sieg commented off-handedly from DenLiner. '_I think the red one mentioned training before he vanished._'

"I think he's in the dojo," Nabiki answered. "He's probably training again."

"That boy. Always thinking about the art," Soun smiled. "The schools will be good hands once he and Akane get married."

Nabiki rolled her eyes in annoyance. Her father was as gung-ho about the schools as ever. Even with the behavior changes that the Taros were showing through Ranma, Soun seemed to be ignorant of what was happening. The only time he ever took notice was when Momotaros had blown up on the fiancées, Kintaros hurt Akane by letting her hit his nigh invulnerable body, and when Ryutaros slugged Akane.

--**DenLiner**--

While the residents of the Tendo Dojo were settling in, the DenLiner was about to receive a special guest at it suddenly stopped moving. Hana looked perplexed while Owner calmly ate his fried rice with his signature flag in it. He was trying to eat it without the flag tipping over. So far, he had only gotten to more than half the rice before it did. Unfortunately, the sudden stop caused the flag to tip over and Owner gasped.

"Not again," Owner let out, the back of his palms against his cheeks. He was one strange man yet Ranma had sensed a powerful aura within him.

"Owner, what's going on?" Hana asked.

Owner seemed thoughtful for a second and spoke, "It would appear that we are about to have guests aboard. Very special guests indeed."

Hana quirked an eyebrow but then heard a steam whistle blow. Looking outside the window, she let out a surprised gasp as she was looking at the ZeroLiner. The door into the dining car opened and, lo and behold, there stood Tenma, his Imagin partner Deneb, his sister Ranko and Ranko's own Imagin Tamamos.

"Yay, we're on the DenLiner!" Ranko cheered happily as she ran in.

"Hime, please be careful," Tamamos advised her host. "You may trip and fall." Thankfully, Ranko did not trip and fall and sat down at one of the tables. Naomi smiled and decided to make some coffee as well as something sweet for the little girl.

"Just like the stories Pop used to tell us," Tenma said as he entered. He noticed Hana and waved. "Yo."

Hana had wanted answers and now was her chance. Of course, Deneb suddenly approached her with a basket of candy and held up a lollipop.

"Here, have some Deneb-Candy!" Deneb said pleasantly before going around the dining car. "For you, and for you," he said again, passing candy to Owner and Naomi. He then bowed, "Please, make Tenma feel welcomed."

"Deneb!!" Tenma exploded as he tackled Deneb and then put him into a head-lock. "Stop embarrassing me, already!"

"But, Tenma!" Deneb struggled, "We need to make a good impression!"

"You idiot!" Tenma shouted as he smashed his fist onto Deneb's head. Feeling that justice had been served, Tenma then calmed down. "OK, now on to business."

"That's just what I was thinking," Hana said. "The ZeroLiner, and yourselves…you all came from the future, right? Is it…my time?"

"Yes…and no," Tenma answered, mysteriously. Hana didn't like that answer.

"Can you at least give a clear answer!?" Hana yelled, ready to punch Tenma.

"Listen," Tenma said calmly. Despite being Ranma's son, he was not quick to violence unless it involved Deneb embarrassing him or if someone was hurting his sister. "The thing is, I can't reveal much, but my job is to save the future, just like Pops."

Ranko nodded in agreement as she had some strawberry ice cream Naomi had gotten her since she was too young for coffee. Tamamos had no such age restriction as she was herself having a cup of coffee.

"OK, so, how did you get the ZeroLiner?" Hana asked.

"The ZeroLiner…it came to us," Tenma told her. "It saved us."

"From the Imagin?"

Tenma gave a silent nod. Hana had to remember that Tenma must've come from the future, meaning he had lost it as she had. The memories…knowing there were people you'd left behind…they were painful.

Deneb sighed sadly as did Tamamos.

"Now, I have to get going," Tenma said. "Ranko, let's go."

"OK, nii-chan!" Ranko chirped before hopping off her seat. Tamamos was immediately standing by her side as was Deneb who was waving goodbye at them as the ZeroLiner crew all stepped off the DenLiner.

Tenma Saotome…Kamen Rider Zeronos…he was a mystery.

--**Tendo Dojo**--

In the dojo, the Taros and Ranma were meditating and it seemed to be paying off as auras in their colors started to glow around them, with Ranma in the centre. It looked like they were close…but then the auras flickered up.

"DAMN IT!" Momotaros roared. "WHY CAN'T WE GET IT RIGHT!"

"I believe it's due to your anger, Sempai," Urataros pointed out. "You need to be calm, cool and collected."

"Oh yeah, you perverted turtle!? I think it's 'cause you're too soft!" Momotaros snapped.

"I am a gentleman, unlike a brute like yourself."

"Say that again!?"

"Yay! Fight! Fight!" Ryutaros cheered.

Kintaros didn't say a word. He was fast asleep.

Ranma groaned and lay on his back. Why couldn't he get this right? He was missing lunch but his determination to get the Full Synchro right was overpowering his hunger. So far things weren't going as well as he'd hoped. They could get some kind of reaction before Momotaros would lose his patience, Kintaros would fall asleep, or Ryutaros would get bored. Urataros would be the only one who could meditate strongly enough. Still, this was the only lead he had on the Full Synchro until he figured out the next step or got Tenma to tell him.

Still, there had to be something that he was missing, a piece of the puzzle that he had yet to find. It still eluded Ranma at the moment, but he was sure that he could find it. After al, he was Ranma Saotome and he never lost. He just had setbacks.

--**Somewhere In Nerima**--

Out in the more popular location in Nerima for teens, Yuka, Akane, and Sayuri were out shopping like girls their age usually did. Akane often set up these outings so they could be normal for a while. They didn't have to deal with crazy martial artists or weird monsters with odd habits. Here they were just normal teenagers with some time on their hands.

Sayuri watched as Yuka and Akane chatted about some of the things that were happening at school, while taking care to avoid mention of Ranma or Kuno. Akane never liked talking about them during this time. It just reminded her of the craziness that she wanted to escape from.

While Sayuri admitted that she didn't know all the details about Ranma's relationship with Akane, but she wouldn't mind having a guy like Ranma who wanted to protect her when she needed it. Sure, Ranma could be a little sexist, chauvinistic, uncouth, rude, and really rough around the edges, but that didn't mean he was a bad person. He always tried to do the right thing despite his shortcomings. He always went the extra mile to try and keep her safe from guys like Kuno and the odd crazy prince that would kidnap her.

Sayuri didn't like to admit it, but she was jealous that Akane got so much attention from everyone. Ranma lived with her and tried his best to please her, a portion of the male marital artists in Nerima desired her and fought Ranma for her. The biggest example was the Hentai Horde and their daily battles for Akane. It really left the girls of Furinkan lonely on the date nights. While she couldn't blame Akane for her views on boys, she could at least appreciate the kind of attention she got. Instead she took it for granted and seemed to almost expect it.

'_Why does she have to have so much attention?_' she thought to herself. '_If boys paid attention to me like they do Akane, I would at least let them know I appreciate it, despite the methods._'

Yuka and Akane saw something they liked in a store and quickly stepped inside to look. Sayuri decided to stay outside since she didn't see anything she liked in the window. She let her eyes wander to see if anything interesting was going on.

As she let her mind wander, she didn't see a glowing yellow orb slowly come from beside a building. It caught Sayuri in its sights and shivered in delight. It quickly soared over the cars and people before hovering above the high school girl. It shivered again before plunging down and entering her body.

"Huh?" Sayuri blinked as she felt something hit her. Her confusion grew even more as sand began falling from her sleeves.

The sand began piling up before a humanoid image rose from it. This one looked a lot like a humanoid toad. It had the head right and on a muscled body which was covered with leather and bits of steel. Its arms looked a little longer than a normal persons and a crossbow was mounted on its back. Its webbed feet apparently weren't attached to its body since they were hovering over its head.

"_I have a wish for you today,_' the creature spoke pleasantly. '_And I wish to give it to you. Can you tell me what you desire?_"

Sayuri's wish was obvious.

--**Tendo Dojo**--

The Tendo home was quiet (relatively) as normal. Kasumi was cleaning up, Nabiki was busy with her calculations with her money, and the fathers were busy with their shogi game. From all appearances, it looked like the usual weirdness was going to take a break for the day.

Of course, it also has a way of appearing when they least expected it.

Today, the weirdness began with a blast of red energy emanating from the dojo. It was normally not the kind of thing normal people were used to, but this was Nerima and the people had gotten used to it after Ranma and Ryoga learned how to use their ki in attacks. Of course, the words shouted out were something new.

"**Full Synchro!**"

When the words were shouted out, the light seemed to be sucked into the dojo and everything went silent again. However, there was some smoke that was emenating through the cracks in the doors.

"-hack- Oh man!" a new voice coughed from inside. It sounded like the mix between two voices. One was Ranma and the other was a more familiar gruff voice. "I did it though! Full Synchro!"

The door to the dojo opened and Ranma stepped out. He was noticeable different though. His shirt was a deep red and it was covered in black markings that were the same as the ones that Momotaros had on his body. Ranma's hair was the same style, but there were numerous red streaks in it rather than the one normal one. His eyes were also red like his normal possession. However, this wasn't a normal possession. Ranma and Momotaros had fused together.

"Hmm," Ranmotaros observed as he checked himself out. "Not bad. Can't wait to test this out at my climax!"

Urataros, Kintaros and Ryutaros all followed after their fused host and Ryutaros looked impressed. Actually, he was practically jumping everywhere in excitement.

"Yay, Momo-chan and onii-chan have combined!" Ryutaros cheered. "I wanna go next! I wanna go next!"

"It seems quite surprising that sempai was able to accomplish it with Ranma so quickly," Urataros said, calmly showing his own surprise.

Kintaros cracked his neck and spoke up, "This is the true strength of men! It almost wants to make me cry!"

The sound of people approaching was heard and immediately the three other Taros vanished into Ranma's clothes and back to the DenLiner. They didn't need Genma and Soun to see this.

"Hey, boy!" Genma shouted out gruffly. "There was a red flash of ki! What were you doing in there?"

"Oh, shut it, you lazy panda!" Ranmotaros snapped at his father, well, Ranma's father, but well since it was still Ranma's body…anyway, he didn't want to see his dad. "I was just practicing a new technique I just made up! None of your business, really!"

Genma didn't like the sound of defiance coming from his son. He'd heard it far too much. Why couldn't Ranma be the obedient son he wanted that would just listen to him without question? Why did he have to be such a rebel? It wasn't bad enough that he constantly disobeyed and disrespected Genma, but to flirt with other girls, injuring Akane, and dancing like a child was not what Genma saw as being 'manly'. Of course, with Nodoka breathing down his neck about the contract and the fact that she'd nearly neutered him the other day, he didn't have much leverage anymore. However, he was still impressed that Ranma was able to create a new technique.

Nabiki's eyes were narrowed. Being the most observant member of the Tendo house whole had its perks. From what she could see, Ranma was being possessed by Momotaros, but judging by the markings on his shirt and the numerous red streaks in his hair, she knew that this was no normal possession. Wonder if she could make money out of this?

Kasumi let out her usual, "Oh my!" and gasped at Ranma's change. She heard a snort inside her mind, which was Sieg's voice.

"_Hmph, now the brute has become even more unrefined_," Sieg spoke disdainfully. Of course, he was also wondering if he could change Kasumi in such a way. Since he was an Imagin, he'd be able to possess her and maybe influence her personality. She was far too submissive and a princess, in his mind, should not be a submissive woman.

The fathers seemed satisfied with the answer. So long as it was a martial art or a means of getting closer to Akane then they seemed satisfied with it. Kasumi saw the situation was resolved and went on with her duties. Nabiki on the other hand, went straight up to Ranmotaros and stared him in the eyes.

"What?" the human/Imagin hybrid asked, unnerved by the look in her eyes.

"What did you do to Ranma, Momotaros?" she asked bluntly. "This isn't the usual kind of possession that you do."

"Heh," Ranmotaros smirked. "Yeah, you're right. It's called Full Synchro. With this, I can be at my climax from start to finish and beyond!"

"Full Synchro?" asked Nabiki. She hadn't heard of that before. Usually if Ranma learned or was trying to learn a new technique she would find out where he got it from.

"Got it from that brat Tenma," Ranmotaros explained. "Figured it out just now. Heh. Let's see those dips try and handle me now!"

Nabiki listened to how Ranmotaros was talking and she was getting crossed signals. His choice of words was definitely coming from Momotaros, but there was something else. Usually Momotaros talked about fighting like it was a hobby and never really cared about who he fought. This new version seemed to know exactly who he was going to fight next. It was almost like he was expecting someone to attack him. That little aspect was definitely Ranma's.

"So you two fused together?" she asked inrediously.

"Yeah," Ranmotaros nodded. "I'm gonna love pounding those rivals to see how well this works."

With that, Ranmotaros began walking away. Nabiki seriously considered trying to keep him on the property since they didn't now anything about this new technique. Of course, she probably wouldn't succeed with Ranma and Momotaros fused into one being. The ego alone might engulf her.

Fortunately, she didn't have to worry about it. The fused being only got a few steps before he suddenly lurched over. He was groaning loudly and red energy began rising from his body.

"Ranma? Momotaros?" Nabiki asked uncertainly.

"Ugh!" Ranmotaros groaned loudly. He began to stumble around as the markings on his shirt began to fade right before her eyes.

Finally, in a single blast of red energy, the markings and the red streaks vanished. Nabiki shielded her eyes from the blast. When she dared to peek, she saw Ranma kneeling on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

"Hey, Ranma," she called out to the pigtailed martial artist. "Are you okay?"

"Heh. Better than okay," Ranma snickered as he stood up. "Ore sanjou!"

He spun around and smirked at Nabiki with a familiar grin. His hair was slicked back, but there were no red streaks. His eyes were also their original shade. He looked like he was possessed by Momotaros normally, but something was off.

"Momotaros, get out of Ranma will you?" Nabiki sighed.

"Hey, Ogre-boy ain't here," Ranma frowned. "He's back on DenLiner with Turtle-boy, Bear-boy, and the kid.

"He is?" Nabiki blnked. "Then…why are you acting like him?"

"I am?" Ranma blinked. He then smirked. "No way. I'm just still in my climax! It sucks that the Full Synchro didn't last, but I'm getting closer!"

Nabiki looked a little concerned. It seemed that whatever this Full Synchro thing was, it had left some bits of Momotaros' personality in Ranma even after separation. If that was the case, could it happen with the other Taros Imagin?

--**Somewhere in Nerima**--

The Toad Imagin was hunched over a rooftop. Normally it would be trying to complete the wish of the one who had contracted him, but he had hit a snag. His contractor had made a wish that was going to be difficult to grant. That was the reason he was currently pondering the situation.

"What to do?" the Toad Imagin pondered. "Why couldn't have I gotten an easy one?"

The Toad Imagin had changed slightly from his sandy form that had appeared in front of Sayuri. His skin was now a deep green and the leather that made up for clothing had turned to a deep brown while the steel parts were now a deep gray.

The Toad Imagin's eye wandered around the scenery that made up Nerima. Everything looked pretty bland and there was nothing that it could really use to make the wish come true. The only things that looked promising were a bunch of signs. The bright colors made his head hurt. In fact the only one that didn't annoy him was the blank one.

"Wait," the Toad Imagin grinned as a though hit him. "That's perfect!"

The Toad Imagin was on its webbed feet in a flash before leaping off the roof and onto another. This was going to be perfect!

--**Tendo Dojo**--

Ranma was still exhibiting Momotaros' personality, despite an hour of being separated from the Imagin. He didn't seem to show signs of turning back to normal. Could this be permanent?

Right now, Ranma and Genma were sparing. Despite the taunts Genma was using to get Ranma to lose his concentration, Ranma didn't lose focus. Instead, he used the anger he had to precisely pound the panda-man to submission.

"You're weak, old man," Ranma grinned. "Not like me. I'm always at my Climax!" He chuckled as he walked away from the heap who was his father. As soon as he left the dojo, his hair slowly returned to normal from it slicked back position.

"Woah, what a rush," Ranma said, feeling the energy drain away. "OK, I did Momotaros okay, so now…" Suddenly, a red haze of energy fused with him and his hair stood up with a red streak. His eyes also flashed red. Ranma Red shouted, "Ore sanjou!"

'_Momotaros?_' Ranma asked. '_What's going on?_'

"There's an Imagin, Ranma! Let's go!"

--**Somewhere In Nerima**--

Tenma Green/Deneb was currently skipping as he went on his errands, shopping for the ZeroLiner crew. He had a shopping bag in hand. He would stop at shops who were selling things at a bargain. Of course, they were also selling Shitake mushrooms.

Tenma hated Shitake mushrooms, despite Deneb telling him that they were good for him. Ranko seemed to like them so why not Tenma?

Tenma Green's hair went past his shoulders and there was a long neon green streak running through it. His eyes were also green and unlike Tenma, Deneb was jolly and kindhearted. This usually embarrassed Tenma who wanted to keep his reputation.

Tenma Green's attention was then drawn towards a huge crowd who were looking up at a sign.

"What's going on?" Tenma Green asked.

'_We should check it out_,' spoke Tenma.

"Roger," Tenma Green nodded before approaching the crowd. "Excuse me, what's going on?"

He then looked up and gasped at what was written on the sign now.

_Hello. My name is Sayuri Funabishi. I am a second-year student at Furinkan High School. I am seventeen years old and my favorite subjects are history and phys-ed. I am currently single and am looking for a boyfriend. I find myself being ignored by most men and am terribly lonely some nights. I'm a good listener and I like to think of myself as a good friend if given a chance. My hobbies are…_

The description went on. It was a detailed profile of everything that made up this Sayuri girl's personality and personal life. Tenma Green blushed horribly when it actually told what her sizes were.

'_What the hell is this?!'_ Tenma cried.

"It looks like a personal ad," Tenma Green answered with some amazement. "She is a very brave person to leave a message like this."

All through the crowds, the younger boys were furiously taking notes about the ad that they were looking at. It didn't escape the possessed boy's notice that some older men were making notes as well.

"What's that?!" a new voice cried out.

A green and brown blur could be seen jumping across the rooftops over all the crowds. Wherever it went, sheets of paper were falling. Tenma Green managed to catch one and discovered that it had a copy of Sayuri's information on it with a map to Furinkan on the back.

"Here you go!" the blur laughed. "Find her and she's yours! Show her how much you love her! Make her the most popular girl in the district!"

"Imagin!" Tenma Green cried in shock.

'_You think?!_' Tenma cried. '_Let me out! We need to hunt him down!_'

Deneb felt himself forced out of Tenma's body before his host dropped the shopping bag and ran to chase after the Toad Imagin. Deneb picked up the dropped shopping bag and checked to see if its contents were safe before chasing after Tenma. "Tenma, wait!" He watched as Tenma took a mighty leap into the air and started roof-hopping. Deneb, unfortunately, did not possess the agility of his host, forcing him to chase on foot.

The Toad Imagin was on top of a building and chuckled as all the flyers had been distributed. "Now, all I need to do is find that girl and the contract is complete."

"I don't think so, Imagin!" shouted a voice. The Toad Imagin turned around to see Tenma standing in defiance.

"And who are you supposed to be?" the Toad Imagin asked. He didn't like it when a human spoke like that to him.

Tenma's only reply was to whip out his belt and with a swing of his arm wrapped it around his waist before it locked into place. He drew out his Zeronos card and flipped the switch on his belt buckle.

"Henshin!" Tenma cried out.

"**Altair Form!**"

The shards bonded onto his body, forming his basic suit before the torso armor formed and snapped on. A pair of bull's heads slid over his helmet and reconfigured as they locked into place to form his visor. A bolt of lighting struck the space between the Imagin and Rider.

"Den-O?" the Toad Imagin questioned.

Zeronos AF drew out his handle and connected it to the blade before drawing his weapon. He swung it over his head before resting it on his shoulder, its size now tripled.

"Let me tell you this from the start: I am _very_ strong!" Zeronos AF said.

"Who are you!?" the Toad Imagin spoke fearfully.

"I am…Kamen Rider Zeronos!"

* * *

As soon as Ranma arrived at the spot, he could see a lot of flyers littering the ground. He picked one up and examined it.

"Hey, this is about Sayuri!" Ranma realized. He suddenly felt a presence overtake him as glasses appeared over his face and a blue streak appeared in his hair.

"Maybe I should give this lovely girl a call," Ranma Blue said, smiling at the information. He then saw a flash of lighting. "Huh?"

'_The Imagin's over there!_' Ranma shouted.

"Maybe he's responsible for giving out this information," Ranma Blue spoke. "Maybe it's time we thank him."

Zeronos AF was not having an easy time against this Imagin, who kept dodging his strikes. It was always leaping back from the assaults with the same stupid grin on its face. It was really getting him mad.

"Just hold still!" Zeronos AF cried as he tried another attack.

"Don't think so!" the Toad Imagin laughed as it leaped again.

"Fine!" Zeronos AF growled. He gripped the blade of the ZeroGasher and tugged. The blade shrunk again and detached from the handle. He quickly flipped the handle and reattached them together. The sides of the blades opened to create the second form of the ZeroGasher. "I'll just shoot you down!"

"Uh-oh," the Toad Imagin gulped.

Zeronos AF took aim and started sending energy bolts through the air at his target. The Toad Imagin dodged the bolts by jumping high into the air. Zeronos AF figured he had his target now and aimed to take him down.

"Gotcha!" the Toad Imagin grinned. In a flurry of movement, the Toad Imagin's tongue whipped out of his mouth. The long pink appendage shot at Zeronos AF with the speed of a bullet. The green Rider didn't have much time to react before it grabbed his weapon. With a tug, it was torn from his hands, leaving him with only his two fists. The Zerogasher AF landed on the floor behind the Toad Imagin as he landed on the floor.

"Now the litter Rider can't fight at all," the Toad Imagin laughed.

Zeronos AF didn't bother to reply. If this Imagin thought he couldn't fight without a weapon that he was seriously mistaken. He quickly slipped into one of the stances of Anything Goes that his father had taught him. Tenma may have had a better social education than his father, but it didn't mean that he didn't train any less than his father did.

Before he could use any of those skills though, a song began. It sounded like drums going in a quick pace. It was easily recognizable since it was the same music that went with a certain Rider.

"Huh?" the Toad Imagin blinked as he searched for the source.

"You know, there are easier ways to advertise a girl who is looking for a boyfriend," a suave voice spoke.

Both Imagin and Rider turned to the source which was behind them. What they found was Ranma Blue walking towards them. The Den-O belt was wrapped around his waist and the centre was blue.

"Still, I appreciate the hint," Ranma Blue smiled. He gripped the Rider Pass and swiped in over his belt "Henshin"

"**Rod Form!**" the belt cried out. The basic Rider outfit emerged over Ranam before the blue pieces which identified his form appeared and combined with him. The blue turtle slide over his face before revealing the orange eye pieces and sliding to the sides.

"Won't you let me string you along?" Den-O RF asked in his usual calm manner. He picked up the DenGasher pieces before assembling them into Rod Form. The weapon extended before he charged at the enemy Imagin.

"Den-O," the Toad Imagin frowned. He recognized this blue Rider.

Den-O RF swung wide at his opponent to try and get him. The Toad Imagin continued to leap around like the animal his form was based off of. Unlike Zeronos AF, Den-O RF kept his cool as he attempted to do battle with his foe.

"Hmm," Den-O RF pondered as he watched the Toad Imagin leap back. "It seems this toad is proving to be a slippery one."

"Stay out of my way, Den-O!" the Toad Imagin growled. "I already did what I have to do to grant the wish. I just need to get back to the contractor!"

"Then I really can't let you go then," Den-O RF shrugged as he prepared to attack again. "So sorry."

"Ha!" the Toad Imagin laughed. "You'll have to catch me first!"

"It's only a matter of time, Toad-boy!" Zeronos AF frowned behind his mask.

'_I think we'll need something extra,_' Ranma suggested from inside his head. '_We should try Full Synchro!_'

'_Yeah yeah!'_ Ryutaros agreed. '_That would be really cool!_'

Den-O RF was a little apprehensive about the idea. So far Ranma had only been able to use the technique with Momotaros. He hadn't even tested to see if he, Kintaros, or Ryutaros were compatible. There were a lot of risks that were involved and best not to chance in the middle of the fight.

Sadly, Ranma didn't see it that way.

'_Here goes!_' Ranma called within Den-O RF's head. '_**Full Synchro!**_

Den-O RF's body was engulfed in a bright blue aura. The blue sections of armor began to shine like beacons. Zeronos AF shielded his eyes, likewise did the Toad Imagin. The glowing Rider himself was breathing hard from the exertions from the strain on his body. He was trembling with each pulse that ran through.

"Gnnnnn," Den-O RF groaned. The pulsing from his armor became quicker, as did the trembling. "Can't hold it…."

BOOM!!

--**DenLiner**--

"Uwah!" Ryutaros cried out as he leaped from his seat. "Wow! That was so cool!"

"Huh?" Hana blinked at the excitable purple Imagin. "What is it, Ryutaros?"

"It's Nii-chan and Kame-chan!" Ryutaros laughed. "They just tried to go Full Synchro and went boom!"

Momotaros stiffened from his coffee as Kintaros was snapped awake from his nap, "EHHHHHHHH?!"

"What did you say?!" Momotaros roared as he leaped over seats to get to Ryutaros. "You'd better not be joking!"

"Nee-chan doesn't like fibbers!" Ryutaros answered. "Nii-chan and Kame-chan went boom boom! It sounded really cool!"

Over at the counter, Hana and Naomi were both pondering what this meant for Ranma.

"If the technique failed," Naomi pondered. "Then how come Ura-chan isn't back yet?"

"I'm not sure," Hana sighed.

--**Nerima**--

The smoke wafted in all directions from the sudden explosion that had engulfed Den-O RF. It had looked like he had been swallowed by a giant blue fireball.

"Pop!" Zeronos AF cried as he tried to search through the smoke. "Where are you, Pop?!"

The Toad Imagin was long gone. It had had vanished somewhere in the explosion. Either it had run off on its own or the force of the explosion had blown it off the building like it almost did to Zeronos AF. The Green Rider had promptly forgotten about the Imagin as he searched for his father and fellow Rider.

"Ow…," a voice groaned in the middle of the smoke.

"Pop!" Zeronos AF cried out. He dashed towards the source of the noise as the smoke finally cleared.

He found himself looking at the prone form of his father laying on his back. However, his appearance was definitely new. He was wearing a sky blue shirt which had several black lines running across it in a rigid patter. It looked almost like the shell pattern Urataros had on his own body. Grey hexagons were on his shoulders, which only reinforced that view. His face hadn't changed. The only things that did were the pair of glasses and the new shade of blue eyes he sported. Of course, the streaks of blue running through his hair was also something new.

Tenma recognized the look. He himself had it when he was learning how to use Full Synchro. His shirts would turn green with black markings while his eyes would turn green. It didn't help when it ended he felt the urge to smile all the time and hand out candy to people he wanted to meet.

"So you pulled it off with Ura-nii of all people," Zeronos AF snickered. He removed the card from his belt and threw it away before removing the belt itself. As he changed back to normal, he bent down to try and wake Ranma up.

"Wake up Pops, Ura-nii, whichever you are," he sighed. "The Imagin got away."

"Ugh…" Ranurataros groaned as he sat back up. "My word, that was something else."

"Let me help you up," Tenma said as he offered his hand to his fused future father. Ranurataros accepted the help. "You tried to go Full Synchro, huh?"

"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time," Ranurataros stated. "So, the toad got away?"

Tenma shrugged, "Pretty much. I bet he's on his way to go after his contract holder."

"I deduce that the answer is clear as to whom the contract holder is," Ranurataros said as he took out a flyer from his pocket. "We need to rescue this girl."

"Right," Tenma nodded in agreement.

* * *

Sayuri was walking alone down the street. Yuka had to go home and Akane wanted to look around for a little while longer. The high school girl herself didn't feel like going home just yet. Her mind was in a small amount of turmoil. Had she really seen the weird toad creature appear in front of her? Strange enough for Nerima, but when it asked for a wish, things felt as if the weirdness meter was going over the limit.

Her journey took her towards Furinkan, where a lot of the weirdness from Nerima happened to the teenage population.

It was no different for Sayuri today.

Even though it was a day off and there was no school that day, there were a fair amount of boys waiting at the front gates. They were milling about and talking to each other about something. Now thoroughly confused about what was going on. She walked a little bit closer to see if she could hear what was going on.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" asked one boy. "The map said she was here but I dunno."

"Positive," another boy nodded. "I hope it will be worth it."

"A cute girl like her?" asked a third. "Definitely!"

"Do you know what her name was again?" pondered a fourth.

"Dummy!" scolded another. "The ad said her name was Sayuri Funabishi. We got her picture and everything."

Sayuri gasped and ducked behind one of the walls surrounding her school. What was going on? Those boys were looking for her? They didn't even go to Furinkan. How would they know her? Did someone tell them to go looking for her or something?

"Do you like it?" a voice whispered in her ear.

"Ahh!" Sayuri cried as she turned to the owner. Her eyes widened when her eyes landed on the toad-like creature that she had spoken to earlier.

"He he he!" the Toad Imagin laughed. It was leaning on the wall next to her and had a huge grin on its face. "Those boys are all here for you! Just like they were for that Akane girl."

"But…what did you do?" Sayuri squeaked. "Boys don't come running like that unless they see something they really want!"

"Like the Hentai Horde?" the Toad Imagin asked. "Well, I just told a little about you and really got their engines running. I came through though, didn't I? You're popular like Akane now."

"But…but…," Sayuri gulped. "No, this isn't like how Akane was popular!"

"Oh?" the Toad Imagin blinked. "Hmm. Akane had a bunch of boys crowding for a date with her. What else made her popular?"

Sayuri fidgeted over the fact that several boys were getting together trying to ask her out on a date. She prayed that a stupid one would say they have to fight her for a date. She wasn't a martial artist and there was no way she would win in a fight against any of the boys.

"I know!" the Toad Imagin grinned. "Akane has martial artists swooning over her! She's even involved with one! How could I forget?"

"Huh?" Sayuri blinked. "No! That's not it!"

"I don't see what else it could be," the Toad Imagin shrugged. "Akane isn't popular because of anything else. I've seen it in your thoughts. She acts like a spoiled brat and throws tantrums. She treats Ranma like a piece of property and never trusts him. She was only popular because lots of boys were chasing her."

Sayuri thought her breath was caught in her throat. Was that really her opinion of Akane? Someone who is spoiled and doesn't seem to appreciate what she has no matter how precious they are shown to be? It couldn't be. She was Akane's friend!

"Well, looks like all I need to do is to get a martial artist interested in you!" the Toad Imagin said gleefully. "Sounds easy enough. I might have to beat him up but the wish has to be granted." With a mighty leap, the Toad Imagin hopped away.

"Wait! This isn't what I want! Hey!" Sayuri shouted. Unfortunately, her shouting had caught the attention of the boys. "Oh…no…"

"There she is!"

"Wow, what a cutie!"

"Hey, I saw her first!"

The high school girl squeaked in fear and made a run for it. The boys were all riled up now and ready for anything. They quickly gave chase after her, hoping to impress her enough to get a date for themselves. Sayuri on the other hand was prepared to run as far as she was able to go to get away from the boys.

--**Not Too Far Away**--

Ranurataros and Tenma were running down streets in the direction towards Furinkan. That was where the Imagin's map said Sayuri would be se it was as good as start as any. Of course, they couldn't be sure how much of a lead the Toad Imagin had on them.

"What do you think Sayuri wished for?" asked Tenma.

"I am unsure," Ranurataros answered as he adjusted his glasses. "Perhaps it has something to do with getting a boyfriend."

"Maybe," Tenma shrugged. "Can't be sure until we actually ask her. The question is, where the heck will we find her?"

The sounds of people running quickly invaded their ears. Both boys turned to see where the noise was coming from and their eyes widened in shock. Sayuri was running away from what seemed to be a large mob of boys all carrying the flyers that the Toad Imagin had passed around.

"Now that is no way to treat a lady," Ranurataros frowned. He glanced at Tenma. "Follow my lead."

Sayuri dashed as fast as she could. She didn't want to deal with the boys and was a little afraid of what they might try if they managed to catch her.

'_Someone help!'_ she mentally cried.

She raced around a corner and was about to keep running when she felt someone grip her arm. For a split second she was about to scream, afraid that one of the boys had managed to catch up to her. The owner of the hand yanked her into a secluded spot and covering her mouth with his hand. She watched the space she was yanked from and saw the boys running past, still cheering about the girl they were going to date.

Sayuri trembled as she felt the boy's arms hold her still, waiting to see if any of the boys were still coming or if they were going to double back. It was a few tense moments before the person holding her seemed to calm down.

"Whew," the person holding her sighed. "It seems we gave them the slip, Sayuri-chan."

The arms holding the scared high school student suddenly let her go, letting her get away from the one who was holding her. She looked to see her captor and visibly relaxed when she saw that she was looking at Ranma.

"Ranma," she sighed. "Don't scare me like that!"

"My apologies, Sayuri-chan," Ranurataros smiled as he tipped his glasses. "I had to quickly remove you from the scene or else those bottom feeders would have kept chasing you."

"Enough of the smooth talk already," a new voice grumbled. "We're on the job if you recall."

Sayuri looked past Ranma and thought for a moment that Ranma had gotten caught by the mirror that made copies of people. That was before she saw the differences that this new person had between himself and Ranma. He had short bluish-black hair and was wearing ordinary clothes. He had an air of confidence, but it was tempered by experience in life, rather than just martial arts. He definitely resembled Ranma though, and if his body shape and posture said anything, he was a martial artists too.

'_Yummy!_' Sayuri giggled in thought as a small flush came to her cheeks. "Um…my name's Sayuri Funabishi. Can I know your name?"

"Huh?" Tenma blinked. He was caught a little off guard since he hadn't been expecting anyone to ask who he was. Since it was Nerima, he had been more prepared for people to attack him. Now he had to think up of a last name on the fly. "Uh…name's Tenma….uh, Mizuno." There. That was a good name.

"Oh dear," Ranurataros sighed. "It seems I have been cast off for another fisherman. How sad." Suddenly, a blue haze of energy left his body and soon Ranma was back to normal. Well, as normal as he could be. Though his clothes had returned to normal and the markings had gone, along with the blue streaks in his hair, the glasses still remained. Hopefully, Sayuri wouldn't notice the sudden change. Well, she wasn't exactly paying attention to Ranma anymore since her eyes were on Tenma instead.

"So, Mizuno-san," Sayuri spoke, "You new around here?"

"Well…" Tenma tried to say. He was a native of Nerima in the future, so he could answer that he'd been around, but since this was the past, he decided to answer differently. "Oh, I just moved here. Oh, and call me Tenma, ok?"

"Tenma," Sayuri smiled. First name basis already. "So, are you related to Ranma? You look a little bit like him. Cousins, perhaps?"

"Well, you can say we're related," Tenma said, not exactly lying. He just wasn't saying how he was related to the pigtailed martial artist.

"Wow, we didn't think Ranma had any relatives beyond his mother and father," Sayuri smiled. She was making every attempt to look as cute as she could. "So, would you like a tour of Nerima or have you already gotten one?"

Tenma blinked. The girl was being incredibly forward with her intentions. Still, it didn't seem like the Toad Imagin had managed to get back to her. Most people who were used as portals by Imagin were drowsy or oblivious to the world. Sayuri was being perky and energetic. No way the Imagin managed to get a hold of her.

"Sure," Tenma smiled. "I think a tour would be fine."

"Great!" Sayuri giggled. "I know some awesome spots. Let's go!"

The happy high school girl grabbed Tenma's arm and began dragging him out of the alley and in the direction of some of the places that she knew that he might like. As they were passing by, Tenma managed to mutter something to his future father that Sayuri didn't catch.

"I'll keep watch. You try to find the Imagin," were his words.

Ranma nodded and tipped his glasses. Since the Imagin wasn't in the past, then obviously the contract hadn't been fulfilled. There was a missing piece to this lovely puzzle that surrounded Sayuri and he was going to solve it.

And he did so love puzzles, especially the kind which involved a pretty lady like Sayuri.

To Be Continued.

A/N: well, another chapter in the wraps. Ranma begins trying to use Full Synchro but he's dealing with some problems with it. Tenma likewise is beginning to have girl problems. He is definitely Ranma's son. Thanks to ZK Chromedragozoid fro helping out when I needed it.


	14. Rise of Momo Sword

I do not own Ranma ½ or Kamen Rider Den-O

I do not own Ranma ½ or Kamen Rider Den-O. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. I am not getting anything beyond enjoyment out of this work. I hope you all enjoy this work as well.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 14: Rise of Momo Sword

The Toad Imagin rested atop one of the buildings that resided in Nerima. It was in a real conundrum at the moment. His contractor had wished to be popular like her friend Akane, but apparently having a bunch of boys chasing her wasn't enough. Having a martial artist after her had to be enough for it. After all, that was the only reason everyone knew Akane. She was popular, but not for good reasons.

"Why couldn't I get an easy one? This is taking too long," The Toad Imagin sighed. "Gaoh-sama will not be pleased by the delay."

Looking over the streets, the Toad Imagin wondered where he was going to find a martial artist who was interested in Akane. The only ones he knew were either lusting over Akane or lusting after some other girl, claiming that it was love.

"Humans can be so stupid," the Toad Imagin sighed. It then perked up in sudden thought. "Stupid? That's perfect! That guy is as fickle as he is dumb!"

Cackling to himself, the Toad Imagin leaped away towards his destination: Kuno Mansion.

--

-**Elsewhere-**

"This is probably one of the most popular shopping areas in the district," Sayuri explained giddily as she clung to Tenma's arm. "It's perfect for some people who want to shop, hang out, or…date."

After Ranurataros(Ranma fused with Urataros) and Tenma had saved Sayuri from a group of perverts, the teenage girl had suddenly become gooey over the boy from the future. Using her offer of a tour to keep an eye out for the Toad Imagin, Tenma accepted it. Still, he was suitably creeped out by being so close to Sayuri like he was. In the future, Sayuri had helped baby-sat him and Ranko while they were younger. As such, Sayuri was somewhat of an authority figure. Seeing her as a blushing teenager on his arm was very strange.

Several stores away, Ranma watched the pair and the area around him. He and Tenma had both agreed that he would use this as a way to look out for the Toad Imagin. Of course, since he was under the influence of echoes of the Full Synchro with Urataros, Ranma would often flirt with almost any pretty girl he saw. It wasn't until the imprints wore off did Ranma get serious about his task.

'_It's a shame,_' Urataros sighed through their link. '_Your technique is quite impressive, Ranma-kun. You were reeling them in quite easily._'

"Urataros, we have a job to do," Ranma frowned. "We can flirt later."

'_Yeah! It's time to kick some ass now!_' Momotaros agreed. '_That stupid frog won't know what hit him when I get through with him!_'

'_Nii-chan!_' Ryutaros cried from his own link. '_Can we use Full Synchro when you fight? I want a turn!_'

'_I would also like to test my mettle with this technique!_' Kintaros agreed. '_Our combined strength will make our opponent cry!_'

Ranma gave him his answer, "We'll have to work on the side effects, though, but we'll work on that later."

Meanwhile, Tenma was having his own mental conversation, '_Tenma, you are acting like a real gentleman. Oh, I am so proud of you!_'

'_Not now, Deneb,_' grumbled Tenma mentally. '_I'm only doing this to get an Imagin. Besides, this is Sayuri. She used to baby-sit me!_'

'_But this is her teenage self, Tenma. She's a girl now, not that bossy woman you keep thinking about._'

'_Different age, same person_,' replied Tenma. '_What's the difference?_'

"AIREN!" cried a happy voice.

Both Ranma and Tenma heard the voice and both groaned, '_Ah, HELL NO!_' Sure enough there was Shampoo. She was on her bike riding towards Tenma, thinking it was her 'airen'. She frowned when she saw Sayuri but as she was about to glomp Tenma, she was shocked to see Ranma walk up to them. She squeezed the brakes and stopped.

"There are…two airen?" Shampoo blinked, looking between Ranma and Tenma.

Tenma was about to deny it, as rudely as possible, since this girl had chased him a while back just for looking like Ranma. Of course, Deneb would have none of that and all of a sudden, Tenma's hair lengthened with a green streak in it and his eyes turned green. Deneb was in control now.

"Oh, heavens no," said Tenma Green. "I'm Tenma. Tenma Mizuno. I'm a friend of Ranma's from out of town. It's a pleasure to meet you. You must be Miss Shampoo. I've heard so much about you!" He reached into his pocket and presented her a piece of candy with his Imagin face on the wrapper. "Would you like some candy?"

Ranma slapped his forehead at the display. Deneb sure picked the right moment to go on his little 'want to be friends' trip. Shampoo blinked at the offered candy in confusion, but took the offered treat anyway. Taking the wrapper off, she popped the candy into her mouth.

"Aiyah! Is very good!" Shampoo smiled. "You make?"

"Yes!" Tenma Green grinned. "I put all my heart into it!"

"Ah. You on date with friend of Akane?" Shampoo asked. "Shampoo then take Airen and we go on double date!"

"No!" Ranma shouted. "We're a little busy here at the moment!"

"But, Ranma!" Tenma Green argued. "Shampoo isn't bad! Why can't we let her hang out with us? She seems really nice!"

'_Because she'll pull some stunt to make Pop marry her!'_ Tenma shouted mentally. Deneb was always looking at the best things in people. Shampoo could be friendly, but she was always too busy trying to force Ranma to marry her.

"Shampoo is very nice!" Shampoo nodded rapidly gripping Ranma's arm, she made sure her he wouldn't get away. "Tenma very smart! We go on double date!"

Ranma withheld the urge to growl. He was supposed to be on the lookout for an Imagin and now Shampoo was getting in the way. Now how was he supposed to tell her to go away without hurting her feelings or getting her mad? Usually the timely appearance of a fiancée would do the job, but neither Akane, Ukyo, or Kodachi were making an appearance.

'_What does it take for this bimbo to take a hike?!'_ Momotaros raged through his link before he charged forward to take the driver's seat.

Ranma's hair suddenly slicked back before his eyes turned crimson, "Ore Sanjou!"

Ranma Red turned to face Shampoo with his temper coming to the boiling point. He gripped his hands and readied to explode on the girl again. She never got a subtle hint and only being direct only got in her thick skull.

However…

"AIYAH! SPIRIT AGAIN!!" Shampoo cried.

"Eh?" Ranma Red blinked.

"Let Airen go!" Shampoo cried as she pulled out her bonborri. Gripping the two weapons, she charged forward with the intent of pounding Momotaros out of Ranma's body.

"Wagh!" Ranma Red cried as he dodged a strike which broke solid concrete. "What the hell-?! What are you doing?!"

"Freeing Airen!" Shampoo shouted. "Leave! Airen and I go on date!"

"Listen, you crazy broad! I don't like you! Just take the hint and leave!" snapped Ranma Red.

Sayuri and Tenma could only watch helplessly as Shampoo tried to pound Ranma Red to the ground. Sayuri sighed in reluctance and said, "This happens a lot here."

"So I gathered," Tenma Green nodded.

--

**-Kuno Mansion-**

The Toad Imagin hadn't wasted any time in getting to his destination. He was crouching on the ledge of the surrounding wall, looking in. From what he knew of Sayuri's memories, one could tell where a Kuno was by the loud noises; either from the son's poetry and loud proclamations or the daughter's stupid laugh.

"Prepare thyself!" a male voice filled with arrogance shouted from the inner yard.

"And that would be Mr. Dumb," the Toad Imagin chuckled to himself. "What wonderful timing!"

Leaping off the wall, the Toad Imagin crouched before leaping up again. His muscles powered his leap up to the roof of the impressive house. Scaling over the rooftop, the Toad Imagin peered over the edge. Sure enough, the idiotic heir of the Kuno family was slicing up training dummies while shouting he would defeat some foul sorcerer. Well, that or join forces with the valiant knight of Nerima. The Toad Imagin really didn't have a clue what he was talking about but he still had a job to do.

"Oh honorable warrior!" the Toad Imagin called as he crouched onto the edge of the roof.

"Hark! Someone calls?" Kuno called as he looked around to see who had called him.

"Up here."

Kuno looked up at where the voice had come from. His eyes landed on the Toad Imagin on his roof. Gasping, he gripped his bokken and raised it up. "Aha! A foul demon challenges the Blue Thunder, Tatewaki Kuno?!"

"Oh of course not," the Toad Imagin laughed. "I am just a simple spirit. I have come to ask for your assistance, noble samurai."

"Ah, then your search has achieved fruition!" Kuno postured. "What quest does a spirit have for this noble warrior?"

'_Hook, line, and sinker,_' the Toad Imagin thought before he began his lie. "I have been contracted by a fair maiden to make her desired for her beauty. However, she feels that her beauty is wasted on commoners and hopes that brave warriors such as yourself would come to admire her."

"Ah, such a demure maiden," Kuno sighed. "To seek the attentions of a warrior such as myself. Spirit, where may I find this maiden?"

"Allow me to give you her profile," the Toad Imagin snickered as he drew a flyer he kept from his earlier attempt to bring admirers for Sayuri. Flicking his wrist, the flyer was thrown into Kuno's waiting hand. The delusional upperclassman read over the information and managed to receive it in record time.

"Ah, I recognize the face of Akane's friend Sayuri," Kuno nodded. "So this beauty wishes to achieve the same kind of beauty as Akane Tendo and the pigtailed girl. A wonderful quest I shall be happy to help Sayuri with."

"Well, you'd better move quickly," the Toad Imagin laughed. "You aren't the only one who will be interested in this young lady."

"Egads!" Kuno cried. "If she were to be sullied by unworthy hands…I must rescue her! Then I shall receive her thanks! I am off!"

With that, Kuno charged into the house and straight for the front door. The Toad Imagin watched him go before he broke out into wild laughter. He rolled around on the shingled roof, attempting to keep from rolling off and caving his ribs in at the same time.

"Oh man!" the Toad Imagin laughed. "What a moron! Humans are so easy to fool! Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

**Later…**

"Brrr," Sayuri shivered suddenly.

"Something wrong Sayuri-chan?" Tenma asked in concern. "Are you cold?"

"No," Sayuri denied. "I just got a bad feeling all of a sudden. I don't know why."

Tenma had long since kicked Deneb out of his body and back to the ZeroLiner. He really didn't want his partner to ruin his image with his overly-friendly display and his insistence of giving away his candy, which was good and all. Still, Deneb could at least ask permission before he did anything. Deneb just thought he was doing good in Tenma's favor. More often than not, Deneb would embarrass Tenma with his antics.

They'd left Ranma behind when Ranma Red was being chased down by Shampoo. He would find them later right after he shook off a persistent Amazon.

"So, what do you want to do now?" asked Sayuri. Tenma considered an answer. He knew he had to stick around to see if he could catch the Toad Imagin. On the other hand, he was still getting used to his old babysitter wanting to date him. Fortunately, he didn't have to decide when Murphy's Law suddenly came into effect.

"Hark! Rejoice fair Sayuri, for the Blue Thunder has arrived for you!" announced Kuno with a handful of flowers. The pair, and everyone who had heard, turned to see that it was indeed Kuno standing several feet away from them. Sayuri withheld the urge to groan while Tenma frowned.

"And here comes another member of the legendary Wrecking Crew," sighed Tenma. This was weird. Kuno was usually obsessed with his dad's female form and Akane. Why was he trying to woo Sayuri of all people? Sure she was attractive, but still…

Tenma's answer came when the Toad Imagin came around the corner, snickering to himself. The future Saotome frowned as Sayuri squeaked in fear and gripped Tenma's arm tightly.

"There she is, Kuno," the Toad Imagin laughed. "It looks like another guy got her. You'd better think fast before he tries something."

"Your words bear truth!" Kuno frowned as he pointed his bokken at Tenma with a frown on his face. "You! You believe you are worthy of the fair Sayuri's affections? I challenge you for the right to date her!"

Sayuri groaned and massaged the bridge of her nose. She was beginning to understand why Akane hated Kuno so much. The guy was so fickle! Did he really think every woman he met desired him? There wasn't a single girl in Furinkan who didn't hate him and wish him serious bodily harm.

"Well, looks like the stories of his lunacy weren't exaggerated," Tenma sighed as he stepped forward. "Listen, Kuno, that toad thing behind you tricked you! It's only trying to make you go for Sayuri so it can cause some real damage. You're being played for a fool!"

"Lies!" Kuno shouted. "I see the truth! Obviously you plan to trick me so you may take Sayuri for yourself!"

"I don't have to fool you," Tenma frowned. "You delude yourself all the time so you save me the trouble."

"I will silence your insults!" Kuno frowned as he raised his bokken. "Prepare thyself!"

Kuno dashed forward with the intent to strike down Tenma and take Sayuri into his arms. Tenma sighed as he watched the delusional fool in front of him. In his life, Tenma had seen Kuno Sr. and Kuno Jr. (as miraculous as the young man's existence was) attack his father or himself several times. The pair was as delusional as ever; convincing themselves that the Saotomes were the reason the women they lusted after didn't like them. As such, Tenma knew the Kuno fighting style back and forth. He could tell when a Kuno attacking him from a mile away and was usually able knock them just as far without much thought.

Tenma dodged the swipes easily. He had fought older Kunos so a younger Kuno would be no problem. He'd been trained by his dad so he knew it was only a matter of outsmarting Kuno and that wasn't too hard either. He twirled around on his feet, mimicking Ryutaros' dancing movement before going in for Kuno's weakness. The guy may be a formidable martial artist, but only when he was armed. He struck hard at Kuno's wrist with a chop that caused him to drop his bokken. Tenma caught the bokken before he struck again, grabbing Kuno by the front of his robe and pointing the tip of Kuno's bokken to the startled samurai-wannabe's neck. Sayuri gaped. She'd seen Ranma and others just typically knock Kuno out, not disarm him and use his own weapon against him.

"If you have any sort of honor, you will yield," Tenma hissed, eyes narrowed.

"I fight on!" Kuno roared as he drew another bokken from his robes and swiped at Tenma.

A loud wooden clacking noise echoed as two wooden swords met in combat. Tenma wasn't exactly surprised at Kuno's actions. He knew from stories that Kuno would proclaim how honorable he was, but he would openly two-time girls he claimed he loved and use tricks to try and win. Some incidents included his actions during the Ultimate Weakness Moxibustion incident and when he tried to find out what Ranma was afraid of. Kuno's honor system was a lot like Genma's, only he took the effort to at least look like he upheld it.

Dodging several strikes, Tenma started moving into a sword style similar to what Momotaros would use; aggressive and fast. Kuno was a deep traditionalist and would stick to his standard kendo forms to the end. He was skilled, but there was no flexibility. Tenma's Momosword style (his name for it) was wild with no set movements, so it was hard to predict. Slashing in short but wide strikes, Tenma lay several strikes into Kuno's sides.

"That doesn't (Ow!) hurt!" Kuno bellowed, but the shaky knees gave truth to his words.

"Heh," Tenma smiled. "Well, I have bigger fish to fry .So, in the words of Momo-nii, prepare to see my hissatsu attack! Part 2!"

Raising the bokken, Tenma charged much like Momotaros would towards Kuno. The wobbly upperclassman tried to defend himself, but Tenma was moving to fast. Unleashing a slash from the right, Tenma broke Kuno's bokken and struck his left shoulder. Tenma continued with a strike at Kuno's right shoulder before he finally finished it with a strike to Kuno's hard head. The bokken shattered on contact, but it was enough. Kuno stumbled back, seeing stars, before he fell back onto the ground out cold.

"Wow!" Sayuri gasped. She was definitely impressed. It seemed that Tenma was as good as a member of the Wrecking Crew, but he didn't seem to have any of their usual problems. Well, if he was related to Ranma then he might be in an engagement. She certainly hoped that wasn't the case. Tenma was certainly a yummy one.

"Darn," the Toad Imagin groaned from his seat. "This is taking to long! Gaoh-sama will not like this!"

"Gaoh?" Tenma blinked. "Who-?"

"It's taking too long!" the Toad Imagin ranted. He gripped his crossbow and hoisted it up. "I'll have to change the odds so this loser can win!"

"Prepare to work hard for it then," Tenma frowned as he reached for the Zeronos Belt. He didn't have many qualms about Sayuri seeing him change. He knew others had seen his father change so it didn't seem to be a big deal to him.

"Tenma!" he heard Sayuri cry out before a pair of feminine arms gripped his own arm. "We have to run!"

"Huh?" Tenma blinked before the girl began to drag him away. "Hey, wait! Stop!"

"Get back here!" the Toad Imagin shouted as he hoisted Kuno over his shoulder and began to chase the pair who were trying to avoid him.

Sayuri was running for her life, dragging Tenma who was still gripping his Zeronos Belt tightly. The girl was sure fast when she needed to be. Maybe living in a town filled with constant chaos had conditioned some of the normal inhabitants to run fast before they got hurt.

Tenma was wondering about this Gaoh character the Imagin mentioned. Who was he anyway?

--

Ranma Red panted as he finally got away from Shampoo. "OK, we finally lost her," said Ranma Red, relieved. He walked out of the public restroom in the park.

'_That's not all we lost_,' Ranma replied. '_We lost Tenma and Sayuri_.'

"Hey, if your kid is anything like you, he can handle himself," Ranma Red responded gruffly.

'_He can, but what about Sayuri? We need to find them_,' Ranma told his Imagin partner.

All of a sudden, a purple haze of energy pushed Momotaros out of Ranma and in his place was Ryutaros, taking on the identity as Ranma Purple. He had his signature cap on and a streak of purple hair.

'_Ryutaros?_' Ranma questioned. '_What are you doing?_'

"Let me help, nii-chan!" said Ranma Purple excitedly before he snapped his fingers. "Everyone, fall in!"

All of a sudden, hip-hop music began to fly and Ranma Purple's gang of break dancers showed up to assist their boss, dancing out in front of Ranma Purple.

"OK, guys!" Ranma Purple grinned. "Find Sayuri-chan and Tenma-chan!" He snapped his fingers and the R-Boys (Ryutaros' Gang) all obediently followed orders and danced away from the park. "And now we go too, nii-chan! Then we can go Full Synchro!"

Ranma was wondering if having Ryutaros help was a good idea.

--

Sayuri and Tenma hid in an alley as the girl panted. Tenma handed her a handkerchief. "Here, use this to wipe the sweat off your face."

"Thank you," she said and then she saw the embroidery. It was a white handkerchief with blue flower patterns on it. "Wow, this is beautiful."

"It's from my mother," he told her, a pained expression on his face. "She gave it to me."

"Thank you," Sayuri said, "But I can't use this if it's so important."

"I don't mind. Anyway, I think they're gone," said Tenma as he looked out the alley. Of course, he was wrong when the Toad Imagin dropped right in front of them, throwing Kuno to the ground. Sayuri screamed and backed away.

"Nowhere to run, brat. This is a dead end!" the Toad Imagin declared. Tenma narrowed his eyes and decided NOW it was his time to fight.

"Yeah, your end!" Tenma frowned as he wrapped the Zeronos Belt around his waist. Hitting the switch on the top, a flute-like noise cut through the air. Grabbing one of his Zeronos Cards, Tenma raised it up with the green side out first. "Henshin!" He slid the card inside his belt buckle.

"**Altair form!**"

Tenma was covered in the bodysuit of Zeronos with the dual-track helmet appearing on his head. The Y-shaped front and back armor appeared with the green sidings before attaching to his chest and back. Finally, a pair of bull heads traveled down the armor on his face before locking into place as eyepieces.

"Tenma?" Sayuri gasped in shock. She wasn't alone either. The gathered spectators were all gasping and pointing at the armored Rider. Of course, they were also pointing and making comments of their own.

"Is that Den-O?"

"Nah, it's the other one!"

"What's his name?"

"I think it's Zeronos!"

"I want an autograph!"

"Let me say this from the start," Zeronos AF spoke as he drew the handle of the ZeroGasher. "I am really pissed off!"

"Like I care!" the Toad Imagin growled before he fired off several bolts from his crossbow.

Acting fast, Zeronos AF completed his ZeroGasher and allowed it to change into crossbow mode. Taking aim, he fired several bolts of his own. The opposing projectiles collided in the air before exploding. The audience cried out in shock and got far from the battle area, but they weren't running away. Most of the teens in the audience were furiously taking pictures of the action.

"Stop getting in my way!" the Toad Imagin yelled as he charged at the opposing Rider.

"Make me!" Zeronos AF shouted as he dashed at his opponent. The two met in the street and began attempting to take each other down. Zeronos AF quickly switched his ZeroGasher into its sword form. Swinging widely, Zeronos AF aimed to take down the Imagin once and for all. Sadly, the Toad Imagin was still as agile as ever and it leaped over the strikes.

"You couldn't do it last time kid," the Toad Imagin laughed. "What makes you think you can do it now?"

"Simple. No distractions!" Zeronos AF shouted as he charged again.

That was when the hip-hop music started. From the crowd a group of hip-hop dancers danced into the scene. They started to move to a familiar beat which was Ryutaros' signature. The people weren't sure where to give their attention and were switching between the Rider and Imagin to the dancers.

"What the!?" the Toad Imagin exclaimed as he saw the dancers. "What's going on!?"

Zeronos sighed. "Ryu-nii."

Finally, Ranma Purple leapt over the crowd and went into a tuck roll as he hit the crowd. His gang all stood behind him as he danced away, showing off his moves. When he was done, he snapped his fingers and pointed at the Toad Imagin. "Are you going to let me beat you?"

"What!?" shouted the Toad Imagin as Ranma Purple produced the Den-O Belt and Hyper Pass.

"I don't hear an answer!" Ranma Purple grinned before fastening on his belt and pressing the purple button. He tapped the Pass to his head before shouting "Henshin!" and swiping the Pass over the belt. Lucky for him, the cap hid his face from the audience plus he had his back to them.

"**Gun Form!**"

The base form of Den-O appeared over Ranma Purple's body in a flurry of light. Then, the extra armor appeared in the air. The red chest plates unfolded into the purple ones while the yellow and black plates fastened to his back. The purple plates fastened to his chest before a purple dragon slid down his face before unfolding into a purple and pointed visor.

"Mind if I destroy you know?" Den-O GF asked as he pointed at the Toad Imagin. "I don't hear an answer?"

The audience was now getting extremely excited. Cell phone cameras were flashing as they took in the image of the armored hero. It was lucky that Den-O GF had his back turned to everyone and his hat was covering his face at the time. Otherwise he was going to be mobbed at the soonest opportunity.

The Toad Imagin now knew he was in a fix. The only reason he escaped the two Riders last time was because he had a distraction. Now, this probably wasn't the case. He was trapped in the middle of a street with people all around. Even if he managed to get away, one of the people there would probably point out which way he went. He was stuck up a certain creek without that much needed paddle…and a boat.

Looking around, the Toad Imagin spied Sayuri watching in rapt fascination. A sudden grin appeared on his warty face as he saw her.

"You know," the Toad Imagin chuckled as he eyed both Kamen Riders. "Since Sayuri now has two tough martial artists with her…I'd say this contract is complete!"

"No you don't!" Zeronos AF shouted as he charged with his Zerogasher.

The Toad Imagin wasn't the mood to listen. Using its powerful legs again, he leaped straight over Zeronos AF. Landing on the ground, the Toad Imagin charged at the surprised Sayuri.

"I gave you what you wished for," the Toad Imagin grinned. "Now I'll take what I desire."

Spreading his arms, the Toad Imagin split Sayuri down the middle, revealing the green vortex between the sides. With the portal open, the Toad Imagin turned to face the two Kamen Riders.

"Better hope you can find me in the past, Riders," the Toad Imagin smirked. With a last wave, he leaped through the vortex.

"No!" Zeronos AF cried as he ran towards the collapsing girl.

"Aww! No fair!" Den-O GF whined. "I didn't get to use Full Synchro with Nii-chan!"

Both Riders ran up to Sayuri and produced tickets for their personal trains. Holding them up to her head, the image of the Toad Imagin appeared with a date on the front. From what the two Riders could see, the date had read September 17th 2007.

"Sayuri," Zeronos AF spoke seriously. He gripped the young woman's shoulder to catch her attention. Holding up the card, he continued, "What happened on this date?"

"Last September?" Sayrui asked. "Umm…."

**-Flashback-**

_Sayuri felt her heart beating a mile a minute. Today was the day. She was going to finally confess to the boy who made her heart beat like crazy. He was a little older by a year, but that was okay. He was captain of the soccer team, so it was sometimes a little hard for her to see him. She had a note for him in her hand and she was heading to the soccer field to find him._

_Exiting the school, she found that there were some other girls waiting by the soccer field. All of them looked upset for some reason or another. It didn't escape Sayuri's notice that they all had a note or a bento in their hands._

"_What's going on?" Sayuri asked with some confusion._

"_You're going to confess to Takeda too?" one of the girls asked with a huff._

"_Um…yes," Sayuri nodded. "Why do you ask?"_

"_Because we were going to as well," another girl huffed. "Only he's not here."_

"_Then where is he?" asked Sayuri in confusion._

"_CHAAAAARGE!"_

_To Sayuri's shock, a mass of boys charged around the corner of the building and seemed to be targeting one student coming out of the doors. To Sayuri's further shock, it was Akane who was about to be mobbed. She was about to give a cry of warning, but the mob was already upon her._

_CRUCNH!  
_

_POW!_

_WHACK!_

_It was over just as fast. All the boys were on the ground groaning in pain and trying to get back up again. Sayuri dared to look closer and found that right next to her feet was Takeda, captain of the soccer club. Sayuri blinked slightly in confusion._

"_He's busy chasing after that spoiled brat Akane," one of Takeda's admirers huffed. "Honestly, what do they see in her?"_

_Sayuri barely heard the grumbles of resentment from the other girls. She was busy trying to keep her heart from shattering. The boy she was crushing on wouldn't want to listen to her at this point. He was too busy listening to his hormones and being an idiot like Kuno._

_It wasn't fair. She didn't even get a chance._

**-End Flashback**-

Sayuri sniffled as she revealed the significance behind the date, "It wasn't fair! What made Akane so special? What made her so great? Just because Kuno wouldn't let anyone date her? She acts like a violent spoiled brat and people still dote on her! Ranma's the best thing that ever happened to her and she treats him like dirt! Why do people want her so bad?! She's a spoiled brat!!"

Zeronos AF could only say one thing with a sigh, "I guess people ONLY see what they want to see…" He added, "Maybe you should talk with Akane about this too. If she really is your friend, she may understand." He then summoned forth the ZeroLiner as Den-O GF summoned the DenLiner. Both trains of time exited their portals and flew down to the streets. The crowds could only gasp and point with their camera-capable cell phones again at the sight. The two Riders then leapt up and entered their time trains, headed towards September 17th 2007.

**-September 17****th**** 2007**

Sayrui sighed as she and the other girls watched the Hentai Horde attempt to get themselves back together again. She had long since torn her letter up. She didn't want to end up dating a complete pervert.

As she and the other girls were waiting for the boys to get up so they could berate them, sand began to fall out of Sayuri's uniform. She watched in confusion before the sand began to compile into a solid body. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw the body of the Toad Imagin come together.

"Eeeeeeeek!" Sayuri screamed as she backpedaled away from the rising Imagin.

The other cheated and angry girls were quick to act the same way. They all began screaming and running for their lives. The Toad Imagin just grinned with its large mouth as it grabbed the crossbow off of it's back.

"Now," it grinned. "How to best mess with time?"

As the Toad Imagin began stalking past the downed boys, there was someone leaning on the wall next to the school. He was donned in a brown jacket and hat. In his hand was a silver pocketwatch. Unlike the previous times this person had been seen, a frown was etched on the visible features his outfit allotted.

The Toad Imagin continued on its merry way until it began to hear a familiar tune. Looking to the other end of the soccer field, the DenLiner and the ZeroLiner roared out of twin portals. They sped past the Toad Imagin, forcing it to turn around. Once he was turned, the Toad Imagin found himself staring down at both Zeronos AF and Den-O GF.

"You're not getting away that easily," Zeronos AF frowned as he held his ZeroGasher on his shoulder.

"Got you now," Den-O GF laughed as he put his DenGasher into its gun form.

"You think so, eh?" the Toad Imagin chuckled as it hoisted its crossbow up. "Put your words where your mouth is!"

With that, the Toad Imagin began firing several bolts. Both Riders dashed away from the path in which the arrows flew. Zeronos AF made his ZeroGasher into its crossbow form and both Riders began to open fire on the enemy Imagin.

"Woah!" the Toad Imagin cried as it dodged the shots. Still, its arm and shoulder armor got nicked and chunks were blown off. "Watch it!"

"That's kind of the point!" Zeronos AF shouted as he continued shooting.

"This is fun!" Den-O GF laughed as he fired haphazardly at the Toad Imagin. His shots were hitting near, but because the purple Rider was dancing about, he was tearing up the soccer field as much as he did the Toad Imagin.

"You think this is fun?" the Toad Imagin growled. "Then let me show you what I think is fun!"

Hoisting his crossbow up, the Toad Imagin let loose a barrage of arrows. Den-O GF fired back, destroying several of the arrows which were flying at him. Still, his shots were proving too slow as more arrows flew at him. 

"Agh!" Den-O GF cried as several arrows impacted against his body. The force of the hits knocked him back, preventing him from moving.

"Ryu-nii!" Zeronos AF cried as he dashed to help his father/brother/fellow Rider. "Are you okay?" he said as he helped Den-O GF to his feet.

"Stupid frog!" whined Den-O GF childishly. "Not playing fair." Zeronos AF chuckled. Same old Ryutaros.

The Toad Imagin decided that now would be a good time to escape. Making a huge leap, it headed away to cause some damage. The two Riders were quick to follow. They both took up the chase after him, with Den-O GF shooting carelessly at its retreating form. A few chunks of the school and surrounding buildings were blown off, but missed the Imagin.

"You're not getting away!" Den-O GF shouted and with a snap of his fingers the DenBird started speeding up behind him. Den-O GF leapt up, did a back flip, and mounted his vehicle before racing off after his opponent.

"Wait for me!" Zeronos AF cried out. Reaching to where his mouth was by reflex, he fired a sharp whistle into the air. A roaring engine cut through he air before a new motorcycle raced out of an alley. It was constructed in a similar way to the DenBird, but instead it had a pair of golden horns sticking out of the front. This was the motorcycle of the ZeroLiner known as the ZeroHorn.

Zeronos AF quickly mounted the motorcycle before he gunned the engine and took off after the Toad Imagin and Den-O GF

Both Riders roared down the streets as they raced after their target. Den-O GF was still shooting wildly, but wasn't getting any better. Zeronos AF couldn't use his weapon since it would require two hands at the moment and he wasn't experienced enough to drive without hands yet.

"Uncle Yuuto made this look so easy," Zeronos AF grumbled. "Deneb! Switch!"

'_Roger!_" Deneb saluted in Zeronos AF's mind.

Zeronos AF reached to his belt, easily keeping his balance since the road was straight and he was able to keep one hand on the handlebars. Pulling the card out of his belt, he reset it before flipping the card to the yellow side. With a fluid motion, he slipped it back in.

"**Vega Form!"**

Sand poured from Zeronos AF and formed into Deneb. The friendly Imagin, knowing that seating was limited, quickly placed his hands on Zeronos AF's shoulders before he transformed into a cape with his hands attaching to the shoulders. The black chestplates appeared over the green Rider's chest before revealing Deneb's face. The bull eyepieces vanished before drill pieces combined in the centre of Zeronos' face and opened to become a star-shaped visor.

"I will say this from the beginning," Zeronos VF stated. "We're running out of road!"

Sure enough, a construction sign was quickly passed stating wet asphalt. Looking ahead, Den-O GF didn't even slow down as the construction site came closer.

'_What?!'_ Tenma cried. '_Move! Jump! Do something!_"

"Oh dear!" Zeronos VF cried as he tried to find a way out. "This is not good!"

Den-O GF wasn't even paying attention before he suddenly found his vehicle stopping and his body still moving. Zeronos VF wasn't far behind. Both modes of transportation were stopped dead by the wet road material. Unfortunately, neither of the Riders was fastened to their bikes and instead went flying. Den-O GF and Zeronos VF both crashed to the ground on the opposite end of the construction zone.

"Ow," Zeronos VF moaned. "Well…we stopped."

'_Yeah. Great job, Deneb,_' Tenma sighed sarcastically.

"Oh! Thank you, Tenma!" Zeronos VF smiled, missing the sarcasm entirely.

"OOOOWWWWIIIEEEE!" Den-O GF whined. "No fair! No fair, no fair, no fair!"

'_Ryutaros, please calm down!_' Ranma tried to plead with the childish Imagin. This was probably one of the trickiest Imagin he had to deal with yet. Of course, Ryutaros wasn't taking kindly to the tricks it was pulling.

"But it's not playing fair, Nii-chan!" Den-O GF whined.

'_Then why don't you let one of the others have a turn?_' Ranma suggested. He had seen mothers try the sharing tactic with their kids before. Besides, it seemed like Ryutaros wasn't the best choice against a crafty Imagin like this one. '_That way, if we meet another cheater again, you'll know what to do._'

"Ummmmm," Den-O GF considered. That sounded like a good idea. After all, games were no fun unless you knew how to win. "Okay!"

Purple energy shot out of Den-O, taking the Gun Form armor with it. Den-O stumbled a little as he tried to catch his breath. Even though it was Ryutaros who got hurt, he felt the aches as well. Grabbing his Hyper Pass, Den-O ignored the pain and reached to his belt.

--**DenLiner**--

"Owwieee," Ryutaros whined as he appeared on the train of time again. He had apparently hurt himself worse than he thought. "I don't feel so good."

The occupants found the limping Dragon Imagin and gasped in shock. He was moving a little erratically and there was a big bump on his head. The other three Imagin, Hana, and Naomi stared in stunned shock before Ryutaros collapsed into one of the seats.

"Ryutaros!"

"Ryu-chan!"

"Ryuuta!"

"Brat!"

All the occupants raced to the young Imagin's side as they tried to check on his position. Hana was trying to get him to look into her eyes while Naomi gently touched the bump, bringing painful whines from the Imagin. Urataros, Momotaros, and Kintaros all tried to get in close so they could help. Urataros tried to get a view while Kintaros had grabbed a napkin and tried to get some air to Ryutaros by using it as a fan.

"Don't tell…Nii-chan or…Nee-chan," Ryutaros mumbled. "Don't wanna…make 'em…worry."

"Oh, Ryu-chan!" Naomi sobbed on the brink of tears.

"What is this noise?" the imperious voice of Sieg asked from the opposite end of the baggage car.

"Urusei!" Momotaros snapped, stomping towards the swan Imagin. "The brat's hurt bad and I was about to go and kick that teme's ass!"

"Bringing harm to a child?" Sieg gasped. He instantly walked to Ryutaros' side. While he may have considered the purple Imagin childish, he had a way of growing on people. Perhaps it was because Kasumi found him so precious. Still, Ryutaros was a child and even if he knew the risks of fighting, intentionally bringing harm to a child was unforgivable.

"This is a villain beyond compare," Sieg growled. "I will punish this fool!"

"Oh no!" Momotaros growled, gripping Sieg's shoulder and staring him in the eye. "This bastard is mine!"

Shoving Sieg back, Momotaros dashed towards the back of the train. His body erupted in a flaming red aura as he moved. The group could only watch as his body seemed to turn into solid red power before it faded out of sight. Of course, they knew where he had gone.

He had gone to Ranma.

--**Nerima--**

Den-O took a breath as he gripped the Hyper Pass. His entire body began shaking as he felt Momotaros coming in for the fight. His presence felt stronger though. It quickly reminded Den-O of what was going to come next.

"Full Synchro eh?" Den-O chuckled. He pressed the red button on his belt, letting the song of DenLiner begin playing. As he gripped his pass, he didn't realize that it was starting to glow red. "Sounds good to me."

"**Momo Sword Form!**" the belt cried as Den-O swiped his Hyper Pass over its centre. The additional armor for Den-O appeared over him before spinning around and then snapping on before the red metal peach slid over his face and split to become his visor. The transformation didn't stop there, however, as Den-O's boots and gauntlets turned the same shade of red as Momotaros and gained his black tribal markings. The black markings were also present on his chestplate and along the edges of his visor. Going into his usual pose, Den-O MSF shouted, "Ore, Sanjou!" in a voice that sounded like Momotaros and Ranma speaking as one.

"Ranma-sama!" Zeronos VF gasped in awe.

'_All right, Pop!_' Tenma cheered in thought.

"That's new," the Toad Imagin frowned.

Looking up at the Toad Imagin, Den-O MSF growled angrily. He then crouched slightly before leaping straight up. With Momotaros and Ranma fused together, this new Den-O had all the abilities of both Imagin and Human. Den-O MSF leaped to the rooftop where the Toad Imagin was waiting.

"I've got a bone to pick with you," Den-O MSF growled. "And I'm at my climax, so you're going down!"

"Just try it!" the Toad Imagin cried as he reached to his belt for his DenGasher pieces.

His arms moved at Amaguriken speed, gripping the DenGasher pieces. Tossing all four into the air, he grabbed the first two pieces and snapped them together. Holding the combined pieces up, the third piece snapped onto it perfectly, making it a handle. Flipping it over, the final piece snapped into place for the sword configuration. When it was finished, the entire device flashed a bright red before changing into a large red scimitar with a red handle. The hand-guard was pointed and the blade had red decorations with black markings. Near the tip of the blade was a second point, acting like a hook.

"Heh, not bad," Den-O MSF nodded. "Let's see it in action! Ikuze, ikuze, ikuze!"

Dashing forward, Den-O MSF aimed to take the Toad Imagin down. The warty Imagin managed to begin firing several bolts from his crossbow. Den-O MSF dodged each bolt as if he had gotten visions from the future before deflecting several more with his sword.

"Try again!" Den-O MSF laughed as he got within striking distance of the Toad Imagin.

"I will!" the Toad Imagin growled as it aimed for a severe kick with its muscled legs.

"Hup!" Den-O MSF grunted as he gripped the Toad Imagin's shoulder before leaping up. Using the Toad Imagin as a pedestal for movement, Den-O MSF landed behind the confused Imagin. The opposing Imagin hadn't even had time to completely turn around before getting slashed with a large sword.

"Agh!" the Toad Imagin bellowed, stumbling away.

"I'm only just getting started!" Den-O MSF laughed as he charged. He pressed his attack, slashing the Imagin again and again.

At first it looked like Momotaros' usual hack and slash style, but if a trained kendo artist watched the battle, they would say otherwise. Each of the sword strikes were timed perfectly to maximize damage and minimize any holes which might appear in his defense. The aggression fit Momotaros to a tee, but the skill being shown was Ranma's for sure. This was the power of Full Synchro, showing the cooperation of both human and Imagin fighting as one.

Each powerful slash made the Toad Imagin reel back further. Den-O MSF just continued the barrage of strikes until he suddenly stopped. The Toad Imagin struggled to stand as it caught its breath.

"Why…why'd you stop?" it asked in pained confusion.

"Heh," Den-O MSF snorted before he reached out and gave a firm poke to the Toad Imagin's chest.

The Toad Imagin stumbled back, confused over the simple technique. Attempting to get a new footing, the Toad Imagin felt no ground beneath his feet. Falling back, the Toad Imagin wind-milled his arms in an attempt to regain balance bring himself back to solid ground again. Sadly, the efforts were not enough and soon the Toad Imagin had fallen off the edge of the building.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Toad Imagin screamed as the concrete came closer to the concrete ground below.

WHAM!!

Den-O MSF peeked over the edge of the building and snickered. The Toad Imagin had made a perfect imprint on the solid ground like in all those American cartoons about the coyote chasing after that roadrunner. He wasn't dead, but he was definitely in pain.

"Oh, so you're a tough guy, eh?" Den-O MSF nodded. "Okay, if you can take the hits then I don't have to play games with you then."

Leaping off the edge of the building, Den-O MSF landed on the ground lightly. He watched the Toad Imagin struggling to his feet, attempting to bring his weapon back up again.

"I…will not…fail…GAOH-SAMA!" the Toad Imagin bellowed as he struggled to his knees.

"Oh, so you're working for someone?" Den-O MSF blinked as he raised his Hyper Pass. It had turned red and had a peach insignia similar to what Momotaros wore on his belt. "Good! Now I know who to send the ashes to!"

Taking the Momo Pass, Den-O MSF swiped it over his belt, "**Full Charge!**"

Dropping the pass, streams of red fire shot from the belt and into the large scimitar which Den-O MSF gripped in his hand. The blade began to look like it was made of flames rather than steel as more energy poured into it.

"Just for you, I'm gonna show a new hissatsu attack," Den-O MSF grinned in anticipation. "My hissatsu attack, revised version: Anything Goes!"

Thrusting forward, the sword flew from Den-O MSF's hand and spun like a disk of fire. It collided directly with the Toad Imagin, digging into his body with a steel grinding noise. Den-O MSF then directed his hand upwards, sending the sword spinning up with the Toad Imagin along for the ride.

"Waaaaaaagh!" the Toad Imagin cried as he flew through the air.

"This is just the beginning!" Den-O MSF cried as he began directing the sword again. The sword flew away from the Toad Imagin, letting him begin falling back to earth again. However, the sword flew back at the Toad Imagin, cutting through it diagonally from the right before making a U-turn and cutting the Imagin diagonally from the left.

"And for the climax!" Den-O MSF cried as he redirected the spinning sword again.

Moving above the falling Imagin, thee sword dove straight down. The Toad Imagin didn't even notice when the weapon cut him right down the centre. The wound shone brightly before the Toad Imagin exploded in a crimson haze of fire.

"Yatta!" Den-O MSF cheered as he caught the falling sword, allowing the red fire to extinguish. "Now that was my best climax ever!"

Gripping his belt, Den-O MSF pulled the item off, undoing his transformation. His body shattered in red fire, the image of Momotaros being seen faintly before it vanished. When the energy cleared, Ranma could be seen standing in the place of the armored hero. There weren't any obvious signs that Momotaros had left any imprints.

"Hey, Pop!"

"Ranma-sama!"

Ranma turned and saw both Deneb and Tenma running towards him. He had obviously changed back since he saw the battle had ended. It was hardly surprising since there was no way anyone would miss the explosion that ripped through the air.

"Decided to leave things to me?" Ranma grinned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Tenma nodded. "It was just a small motorcycle accident. Is Ryu-nii okay?"

"Um…," Ranma frowned. After fusing with Momotaros, he had gotten the unedited view of Momotaros' experience since his last possession. "No. He isn't. The accident knocked him on the head really hard. He collapsed on DenLiner. I don't know how he hid it."

"Oh my goodness!" Deneb cried out in shock. "We must see to him! He might be seriously hurt!"

"You got that right," Tenma nodded urgently. "Why are we waiting here Pop?!"

"Waiting on you guys," Ranma nodded as he drew his Hyper Pass. "Let's get going!"

"Roger!"

"Let's go!"

As the two Riders and lone Imagin dashed for an open space, they didn't know that they were being watched. From an alley, a lone figure was stepping out from the shadows. This being was green-skinned and wearing clothes reminiscent of the old days of Arabia. On his shoulders, thighs, and shins were bronze pieces of armor that looked like it was fashioned from a large lamp. The shin and thigh pieces looked like they were from a lamp's base while the shoulders looked more like centre of the lamp. Running down the right arm was the lamp's spout while the handle reached down the left. A purple turban rested on his head while the fabric concealed his face except for a pair of red eyes.

This was the Genie Imagin.

"Gaoh-sama," the Genie Imagin spoke, resting his hand on a device hidden beneath the turban fabric. "The Toad failed to destroy either Rider, but he created an opportunity to reach our goal. DenLiner and ZeroLiner are on their way."

'"_Excellent,_" a deep voice responded from a radio device hidden in the Genie Imagin's turban. "_Follow them. The others and I will meet you there._"

"As you wish, Gaoh-sama," the Genie Imagin nodded.

Cutting off the link, the Genie Imagin turned his legs into green smoke before taking off in flight after the two Riders.

Dashing to the Furinkan soccer field, the tune which signaled the DenLiner rang as the portal opened. The familiar train of time slid out and came to a stop in front of the pair. One of the passenger car doors opened wide and Hana leaned out of the opening.

"Over here, guys!" she called out.

"Is Ryutaros okay?" Ranma asked in deep concern.

"He's okay," Hana replied. "He just has a bump on his…look out!"

Ranma and Tenma both turned around to see what their friend was talking about. Their views were filled with a pair of fists. One was made of stone and the other was made of wood.

"Gah!" both Saotomes cried as the force of the blows sent them colliding into the side of the DenLiner.

They looked up to see their attackers. Unsurprisingly, they were Imagin. One looked like it was made out of gray stone. Its shoulders looked like the top of a castle while its head looked like its tower. A single eye was visible. It wore a blue cloak on its right side and had a gray ponytail running down its back.

The second Imagin looked like a living tree. Moss ran down its legs while green branches sprouted from its shoulders. Apples actually were visible in the branches and a green mass of leaves sprouted from the top of its head. This Imagin's eyes were hollow, but somehow it was still able to see.

"Tenma-kun! Ranma-sama!" Deneb cried as he saw his contractor and friend being attacked. Sadly, he was in no position to do anything about it.

Deneb was being held back by a monstrous Imagin. It had scaled legs and a furry torso. Its right arm was similar to a lion's but a scaled left arm occupied its twin. Its head looked like a goat's, but the horns were coiled and looked cracked. This Imagin was also holding Deneb back from assisting his friends.

"Let go of me, Imagin!" Hana shrieked as her own attacker managed to get her from behind.

This fourth Imagin looked like a clown from hell. It was skinny, but was wearing a red and yellow clown suit with polka dots on it. It had white gloves and big shoes. On its right shoulder, a few balloons were floating from its shoulder. However, a skeleton was hanging over its left shoulder. A burlap sack-looking head occupied its shoulders with scary clown paint on. A sadistic smile and blank narrowed eyes occupied the facial features.

"Hoo hoo hoo!" the Imagin chuckled as he hefted Hana away from the open door. She thrashed, but couldn't use one of her devastating punches.

"Tower, Orchard, Chimera, Clown, enough," a deep and commanding voice called from the sides.

Tenma and Ranma were gripped by the Tower and Orchard Imagin while Chimera and Clown held their own hostages. All four turned in the direction of the voice.

Two figures were walking towards the DenLiner and the four hostages. One was the Genie Imagin, but the other one was a human. He was someone who was just leaving his prime and had dark black hair which was tied up tightly. He looked Japanese, but had a scar over his right eye. The hairs near his temple were only beginning to turn gray. He was dressed like a Feudal Era Damiyo. The clothes he wore were bronze and black, but only made him look more dangerous.

"We have the train now," the man smiled. "We don't need these interferences."

"Hey!" Ranma growled.

"Hmm," Tenma frowned. "You must be Gaoh."

"Correct," the man, dubbed Gaoh, nodded in amusement. Much like the adult would acknowledge a child. "I am he. I assume Toad had slipped a couple words."

"Yeah," Tenma frowned. "He seemed pretty intent on making sure he didn't disappoint you."

"Ah, and he succeeded in the end," Gaoh nodded. "Loyalty like that is hard to find."

"So what is it you want?" Ranma frowned. "If you want to sit here and talk then let us go!"

"What I want…is this magnificent train," Gaoh smirked. "I've been looking for one for a while. It may not be mine, but it will suit my needs for now."

Walking forward, Gaoh and the Genie Imagin headed to the open door of the train. Ranma and Tenma struggled, but the Tower and Orchard Imagins were proving too strong. As the Genie Imagin stepped inside, Gaoh stepped out again.

"Drop them," Gaoh ordered. "They are no threat now."

The four Imagin nodded and tossed their hostages aside. All four then crowded to the entrance of the DenLiner and entered. As the Clown Imagin got on board, being the last, he giggled loudly before patting his behind at the recovering four. An obvious insult.

"Bye bye!" the Clown Imagin laughed as the door shut.

A loud whistle echoed from the DenLiner. Ranma was already on his feet and running towards the entrance of the DenLiner.

"Let me in!" Ranma shouted. He gripped the edge of the door and yanked it with all his might. Unfortunately, the door was fastened tightly.

The DenLiner whistled again before beginning to move. Ranma wasn't going to give up without a fight. He continued to yank and pull with all the strength his muscles and ki could afford him. Sadly, the DenLiner was built for assaults from beings much stronger than any human could be.

"Ranma!" Hana cried as she managed to get up. "You have to get off! It's dangerous!"

Ranma looked at where the DenLiner was going and saw that the portal to where the sands of time existed was opening and he was heading right for it. Cursing to himself, Ranma leaped off and landed on the ground. Turning to see, he felt his stomach sink as the DenLiner vanished through the portal.

"Pop!" Tenma cried as he raced over to his father. "You okay?"

"Yeah, fine," Ranma frowned. "But something tells me that bad guys having their own train of time is a bad thing."

"Yes, Ranma," Hana frowned, watching the portal close. "It is a very bad thing."

To Be Continued…

A/N: I'M BAAAAAACK! After so long, we have an addition and a beginning to the Ran-O version of Ore Tanjou!


	15. Ore Tanjou RanO Remix

I do not own Kamen rider Den-O nor do I own Ranma ½ or Inuyasha

I do not own Kamen rider Den-O nor do I own Ranma ½ or Inuyasha. They all belong to their respective creators and not me. Looking for a lawsuit to win then look elsewhere. Everyone else, please enjoy the work.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 15: Ore Tanjou Ran-O Remix

The situation was grim for Ranma, Hana, and Tenma. Moments after they managed to defeat the Toad Imagin, they had been jumped by a group of Imagin. After being detained, it was discovered that the Imagin were working for a guy named Gaoh. He was a human who dressed like someone out of the Feudal era. After a few words were exchanged, he and his Imagin henchmen board the DenLiner and took off with it, leaving the two Riders and the out-of-time woman in the past.

"This is real bad," Ranma growled. "What do you think that Gaoh guy intends to do?"

"He can do almost anything," Hana answered, still glaring at the spot where the hijacked DenLiner had exited. "He can go through time at his leisure now."

From where Deneb was fretting with Tenma's bruises, the young man spoke, "That's not entirely true."

"Huh?" Both Ranma and Hana blinked as the turned to the boy.

"You of all people should know that you can't just go to the future or the past without a ticket, right?" asked Tenma.

"Yes," Hana nodded.

"Well, you can travel in the sands of time all you want, but if you want to get off, you need a ticket or else you won't be able to get out," Tenma explained as he struggled away from Deneb. "Essentially, you're trapped on the trains of time unless you want to get off at your original time. Heck, the only reason I can go to Pop's time is because of my ticket."

To prove his point, Tenma drew a ticket from his pocket. It depicted Zeronos on the front with the date that he and Ranma had departed after the Toad Imagin.

"That's right!" Hana gasped. "Gaoh and his men may be able to forcibly board DenLiner, but there's no way they can get off!"

"Exactly," Tenma grinned. "Even if they could, there's another security function."

"What's that?" asked Ranma.

"Unless you have a special ticket, you can only go so far back in time," Tenma explained. "Once more, there's only one track that extends all the way back to the past and forward to the future. You need the special pass to get on that track."

"So there's only so much damage Gaoh can do," Hana gasped. "But…Owner has one of those tickets!"

"Which is probably why Gaoh picked the DenLiner," Tenma nodded. "Still, Owner is a pretty tough guy so if he hid it, Gaoh will have to search for a while to get it."

"But don't you have one Tenma?" asked Hana. "I mean, you own the ZeroLiner."

"Tenma does not own the ZeroLiner," Deneb explained. "He has been entrusted with it, but the responsibilities of ownership are in the hands of someone else."

"The let's find the guy and get the master ticket so we can follow Gaoh!" Ranma snapped.

"It doesn't work that way!" Tenma retorted. "The guy who owns the ZeroLiner is Yuuto Sakurai! Right now, he's not the owner in this time period and when he is, is in my time and that vanished! Any other point where he is the owner is invalid since we don't have the ticket."

"Then we have to catch up with Gaoh now!" Hana cried. "What are we waiting for? Call the ZeroLiner!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Tenma sighed as he withdrew his Zeronos belt and wrapped it around his waist. Pulling out a ticket, he set the switch, bringing the Zeronos tune. "Henshin!"

"**Altair Form!**"

--**DenLiner**—

Things didn't look any better on the DenLiner itself. Trash was littering the ground as the five Imagin made themselves comfortable and ate whatever they could get their hands on. One portion of the dining car had been covered with an energy field courtesy of the Genie Imagin. Inside, Momotaros, Urataros, Kintaros, and Sieg were being held so they wouldn't cause trouble.

"Temes! Let me outta here!" Momotaros raged at the occupying Imagin.

"Release me at once peons!" Sieg demanded imperiously.

"Neener neener neener! The Clown Imagin chuckled as he gave the stink eye to the group.

"Raah!" Momotaros roared. "You're dead clown-boy!"

Clenching his fist, Momotaros lunged forward and punched at the field. His fist contacted with the energy cage. The second the fist touched the field however, an electric blast entered his body.

"Ye-ye-ye-ye-yeeeeee!" Momotaros cried as the force of the field launched him back at his fellow Imagin.

"Get off me, Peon!" Sieg growled from his part in the pile.

"Sempai! Are you okay?" Urataros called.

"Momonoji!" Kintaros called in concern as he hefted the red Imagin into a seat.

The Clown Imagin chuckled and leaped away to see if something else was going to offer some amusement. As he was leaping around, Naomi squeaked in fear from her spot behind the counter. She wanted to move, but she was too concerned for Ryutaros. The youngest Imagin was unconscious with an icepack on his head. Naomi had taken the duty herself to be Ryutaros' pillow as he recovered.

"Get well soon Ryu-chan," she sighed. "We need you."

Owner sat in his usual seat, looking as stern as ever. None of the five enemy Imagin had gone near him. They knew he wasn't going anywhere, but also they knew he was tough. Gaoh had also ordered them to leave him alone and unscathed. He had a use for the owner of the DenLiner.

The door to the dining car opened and the man of the hour walked into the chaos. The enemy Imagin silenced and eyed their leader. Gaoh smirked and walked down the hall, ignoring the downed Ryutaros and Naomi.

"Hey! Teme!" Momotaro raged. "When I get out of here, I'm gonna kick your ass from here to the moon!"

Gaoh stopped his stride and turned to Momotaros. He frowned slightly and leaned in closer to the red Imagin.

"You do not have the right to speak to me that way peasant!" Gaoh snorted.

"What?!" Momotaros raged. "I'll kick your ass!"

Chuckling, Gaoh continued on his path. Walking towards the opposite end of the car, he came to a stop in front of Owner.

"Greetings Owner of DenLiner," Gaoh smirked.

"Gaoh," Owner frowned. "Or would you prefer your historic name, the Fang King?"

"Either works," Gaoh snorted. He then leaned in closer to the man. "I believe you are in possession of something that would be of immense use to me."

"Nothing I have belongs to you," Owner insisted.

"Oh, I think you have. You see, I wish to ride God's Line."

"That is just a myth," said Owner firmly.

Gaoh began to laugh, "Oh, I know it isn't and you know it isn't either. I just need your special ticket to get on."

"Unfortunately, I can't give it to you," denied Owner.

Gaoh leaned in close and said menacingly, "That wasn't a request." He ordered his gang. "Search him!"

Orchard and Tower immediately leaped from their seats and grabbed Owner by the arms. Hefting him up, Chimera stepped forward. The composite Imagin reached into Owner's jacket and began to check all his pockets. After a couple of moments of searching, Chimera brought his arm out of Owner's jacket holding a gold ticket that had the symbol for infinity stamped on it.

"I found it, Gaoh-sama," Chimere grinned as he held the ticket to the evil human.

"Excellent," Goah smirked as he gripped the ticket almost greedily. Reaching into his robe, he retrieved what looked like a Rider Pass, save for the fact that it was solid gold with an infinity symbol etched on it. Opening it, he slipped the ticket inside before snapping it shut. "Men, we now begin our journey."

An ugly roar erupted from the five as they cheered for their leader. Gaoh smirked as he walked to the ext of the dining car and towards the front of the train. He moved through the empty cars and past the weapon systems that occupied it before finally coming up to the front of the DenLiner. The DenBird was sitting in its usual resting place with the viewing screen in front of it.

Taking a seat on the DenBird, he slipped the Master Pass into the chamber which would activate the DenLiner's systems. The screen lit up to reveal the train tracks and the sands of time.

Revving the engines, Gaoh began racing down the train tracks at top speed.

Outside, the Denliner began heading down tracks which were alone in a large plain of sand. It appeared as if there was nothing ahead but sand, mountains, and more sand. Still, the DenLiner continued on its way.

As it raced through the empty sands, the sky began to glow dark and thunder crashed through the sky. Clouds pooled together as the thunder and lighting grew greater. As the DenLiner went even deeper, the train tracks began to change. Large torches began to burst out of the ground alongside the tracks. Picking up speed, the DenLiner continued on its way.

Suddenly, the train tracks began rising into the sky. The tracks rose high enough into the air that they vanished into the clouds. DenLiner just picked up even more speed before it vanished into the clouds, leaving only the torch-lined track behind.

-**September 17****th**** 2007**-

As soon as the Zeronos armor had been completely donned, a loud horn signaling the arrival of the ZeroLiner went off before the train itself flew out of a portal. As it came screeching to a stop, the door on the green car opened.

"Onii-chan!" Ranko's voice cried as the tiny girl in question leaned out of the door with Tamamos right behind her.

"Tenma-kun, what happened?" asked Tamamos.

"DenLiner got hijaked," Zeronos AF answered. "Everyone get to the second car. I'm going to need the head car for a while.

"Right, Onii-chan!" Ranko nodded as she scrambled off the train before running up to her future father. "Come on, Papa!"

Yanking Ranma along, Ranko dashed to the yellow hawk-headed car. Deneb, Tamamos, and Hana were close behind. Letting the door slide open, they all got into the car while waiting for the train to begin moving.

"Welcome to ZeroLiner!" Ranko smiled as she led the group into the main car.

The main colors of the ZeroLiner's interior were gray, yellow, and green. There were two tables situated near two large seats. Both seating arrangements were on opposite corners of the car, but it was close enough to feel like a full room. The chairs were either colored green or yellow. The only windows that were there were covered with green glass, preventing anyone from seeing in or out.

"Make yourselves at home," Tamamos purred as she seated herself on one of the tables. "We are happy to have you."

"I will make you all snacks," Deneb bowed respectfully. "Despite the harsh circumstances, I hope you all find this place comfortable."

Hana sighed tiredly before she walked over to the green seat and took a seat on the green seat. Ranma had taken a seat on the yellow couch, next to Ranko. Before he could move, Ranko scrambled onto her father's lap with a big grin on her face.

"Is there anything we can do?" Ranma asked.

"Our only chance is to head to God's Line and hope Gaoh hasn't been there yet," Hana answered.

"God's Line? What's that?" asked Ranma. "Is it the line that Tenma was talking about?"

"Yeah," Hana nodded. "A line that can travel back to the beginning of time. It isn't easy to find and you need to have a special ticket to even be able to get onto it."

"And Owner has one," Ranma frowned. "And Gaoh probably has it at this point."

"The question is when and where Goah intends to go." Tamamos pondered. "Did he give any hints?"

"Not really," Ranma answered. "The problem is if Gaoh is already on the God's Line or not."

"Why not ask Nii-tachi?" asked Ranko. "Aren't they still on the DenLiner?"

"That's right!" Hana gasped. "Momotaros and the others are still on the DenLiner. Maybe we can get them to tell us what's going on!"

"It's a thought," Ranma agreed. Taking a calming breath, he began to concentrate. '_Hey guys! Are you there? Are you all okay?_'

'_Ra--ma?_' came three voices which were faded and with some static.

'_Are you guys okay?_' asked Ranma. '_What about Ryutaros? Is he okay?_'

'_Ca--t he—too well. Ryu--ros is a--p,_' came the voice of who sounded like Urataros.

'_Te--! Gonna -- -- kill!_' Momotaros raged.

'_Can't hear too well!_' Ranma replied. '_Tell me. Are you guys on God's Line?_'

'_-- -- -- -- ine!_' the voice of Kintaros managed to get out.

'_You're breaking up!_' Ranma cried mentally. '_Can one of you guys get here and tell me?_'

--**DenLiner**—

"I can't hear what Ranma is saying!" Momotaros raged. "This stupid cage is cutting us off!"

"I think we can guess that, Peon," Sieg sniffed. "What are we to do about it?"

"Hmm," Urataros pondered as he rubbed the wall that was uncovered by the Genie Imagin's cage. "You know, I think we might be able to escape."

"Nani?" Momotaros stiffened. He then grabbed Urataros' shoulders and began shaking him. "Don't just stand there! Tell me!"

"W-well," Urataros replied as he broke free from Momotaros' hold. "Since this wall is uncovered, we might be able to get through."

"But we tried that," Kintaros added. "We got shocked."

"True," Urataros nodded. "Still, I believe with enough force, we might be able to force one of us here out and right to Ranma."

"All right!" Momotaros cheered. "I'll do it!"

Not really arguing, knowing the price for failure, Momotaros was positioned so that he would be sent directly at the wall that was in front of him. Gripping both shoulders, Urataros and Kintaros prepared to use all their strength to help their friend break the barrier. Behind the group was Sieg, just standing there.

"You could help too, Bird-boy!" Momotaros snapped.

"I will, Peon," Sieg shrugged.

"You'd better," Momotaros growled back.

"Here we go Sempai," Urataros warned. "1…2…"

"Three!" Sieg finished before he kicked forward and hit Momotaros in the rear end. His considerable strength mixed with Urataros and Kintaros throwing him by his arms, sent the red ogre Imagin forward with considerable force. His body collided with the DenLiner wall with a loud slam and electric voltage sizzling across the surface. His body flashed red for a moment before there was a shattering noise. A large flash then followed before Momotaros vanished from sight.

"He did it!" Kintaros gasped in shock. Grabbing some napkins, he began wiping his visor as he struggled to keep his tears in. "You see? This is the strength of allies!"

"I'm sure," Sieg huffed as he took a seat. "The red one had better be successful. I will not allow this injustice to continue much further."

--**ZeroLiner**--

Ranma was furiously struggling to keep in contact with his Imagin partners when it happened. He suddenly lurched forward when his body flashed bright red. In a blast of sand, the red form of Momotaros flew out of Ranma's body and tumbled to the floor.

"Momotaros!" gasped Hana.

"Momo-nii!" Ranko cheered. "Hi!"

Itaiiiiii!" Momotaros groaned as he held his butt, obviously in pain. "I'm gonna kill that bird when I see him again!"

"Momotaros!" Ranma called as he dashed over to his friend. "What happened? Are you and the others okay?"

"Rrrrrgh!" Momotaros growled as he managed to get to his feet. "That Gaoh guy and his flunkies just stormed onto DenLiner. We got mobbed along with the bird before that genie caged us up!"

"What about Ryutaros, Naomi, and Owner?" asked Hana with concern.

"The brat's sleeping and Naomi is taking care of him," Momotaros reported. "The bastards on board are leaving them alone. They cleaned out the food though. Temes."

"And the Owner of DenLiner?" asked Tamamos. "What is his condition?"

"Uh…that Goah guy took something from him," Momotaros replied, trying to remember. "Some kind of ticket. Didn't see what it was for though."

"Oh no," Hana moaned. "Did the DenLiner enter some kind of track? A weird one that you haven't seen before?"

"Yeah. It had torches on the sides," Momotaros nodded. "Those other Imagin called it God's Line or something."

"So Gaoh has entered God's line," Tamamos nodded grimly. "I will let Tenma-kun know."

Getting up from her seat, Tamamos strode over to the exit of the car before exiting. Ranma helped Momotaros to his feet and they both took a seat in one of the two booths in the car.

"So where are we?" asked the red ogre.

"We're on Tenma's train, the ZeroLiner," Ranma answered. "We're giving chase after Gaoh."

"Good!" Momotaros cackled. "We're going to hunt those bastards down! Ha ha ha!"

Momotaros' rant was cut off when the door into the car opened again. This time, it was Deneb with an apron holding a tray filled with food. He walked in and placed the tray down on the nearest table.

"Oh! Momotaros!" Deneb gasped. "When did you get here?"

Up at the front of the train, Zeronos AF was driving the ZeroLiner through he sands of time. He had a pretty good idea where God's Line was, but he didn't have a ticket he wasn't going to get onto it without doing something crafty.

"I hope Kami doesn't punish me for this," Zeronos AF sighed.

In the sands of time, the ZeroLiner began to enter the same open area that the DenLiner had only a while ago. However, he was sticking closer to the rocks that the DenLiner had. Ahead of them, the tracks to God's Liner were still visible and resting on the ground. Giving a loud honk, the ZeroLiner charged forward and began riding alongside the rocks which were resting along the rails.

"Hold on, everyone!" Zeronos AF called as he pressed a button. "We're expecting some turbulence!"

The head of the green car of the ZeroLiner flipped forward to reveal a large drill. Picking up speed, the ZeroLiner began to aim at the rocks that were coming up. Giving off another blast of steam, the ZeroLiner collided with the sizable rock. With a loud crash, the ZeroLiner destroyed the rock, derailing the ZeroLiner itself.

Inside, while the occupants were sent toppling with food spilling everywhere while they screamed, Zeronos AF remained calm. Pressing a button on his ZeroHorn, he activated another mechanism for his train.

The top of the yellow car suddenly rose and unfolded into a large propeller. Using it, the ZeroLiner managed to maneuver itself through the air and hold itself over God's Liner. Even though there was no real resistance, the pilot of the ZeroLiner knew he had to move fast let something happen. Once the ZeroLiner was over the tracks perfectly, the propellers stopped and folded back into the machine. The ZeroLiner instantly dropped onto the torch-lit tracks.

"Wow," Zeronos AF admired. "That was easier than I thought."

Hitting the acceleration, the ZeroLiner began to speed down the tracks of God's Line.

Inside the passenger car it was a little different. Ranma and Momotaros were sprawled on the floor with Deneb, all three covered with the snacks the friendly Imagin had brought in. Hana was sprawled on her back with Ranko in her lap, who was giggling madly. Tamamos was seated on her table again looking none the worse for wear.

Groaning, Ranma decided to ask, "So, Hana, what's God's Line anyway?"

Hana sat up with Ranko still on her lap and answered, "It's a myth in the sands of time."

"Clearly it isn't," Momotaros huffed. "Get to the point!"

Hana frowned and explained, "God's Line is a special track that allows any time train to go to any time at all. Present, Past, Future…it doesn't matter. You can go anywhere in time. Because of the danger of such a line's existence, it was sealed away."

"So it's one of those don't use unless it's an emergency things?" asked Ranma.

"Yes," Hana nodded. "That fact that someone like Gaoh is using it makes this a very dangerous situation. Who knows where he's heading."

"_Attention, passengers,_" Zeronos AF's voice suddenly spoke through an intercom. "_Thank you for riding ZeroLiner Rail and we hope you had a pleasant ride so far._"

"Bite me, brat!" Momotaros snapped.

"_We're speeding along at the rate of action hero chasing a villain,_" Zeronos AF continued. "_If you would like to step out onto the observation booth, you will be able to see various points of history pass us by._"

"Really?" Ranma blinked. He quickly managed to get back up to his feet. Walking to the back of the car, he let it slide open before stepping out. As he took in the sights, his eyes widened in shock, "No way."

Ranma found himself looking down the Nile River of Egypt. Looking to the side, he saw that the pyramids which even a guy like him recognized were half there, being built!

"I'm seeing things," Ranma gaped as he rubbed his eyes. Blinking, he looked again.

This time he was looking over a city with the Eiffel Tower rising high into the sky. Ranma continued to gape at what he was seeing.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Hana smiled as she stepped out onto the observation booth behind Ranma.

"I guess so," Ranma gaped. "I never thought I'd see stuff like this though, even if I worked with a time-traveling train."

"I suppose," Hana giggled. "This why we need to stop Gaoh's plan, whatever it is. The flow of time is a beautiful thing that should never be stopped."

"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "I wanna know where he's going to show up next."

--**Japan, Feudal Era**--

This was a different age in human history. The Feudal Era of Japan was also known as the Era of the Warring States. His period in time was a chaotic time where the Shogunate had gown weak and the Damiyo were warring with each other to claim more territory for themselves.

Don't even mention the demon population preying on the innocent people.

There was one particular village that was of note. It was often spoke of by travelers who had passed through or had heard the tales for themselves. It was a very small village that managed to sustain itself, but didn't have much growth as of late. It was too busy defending itself and keeping itself from dying out.

It seemed to be another day in the village itself. The men were off either guarding the village or doing the usual things that needed to be done. Either farming, collecting wood, or repairing their homes. The women were busy with the household chores or getting the food they needed to fill their families' stomachs. The children who were left happily played with their friends.

Many of the children were focused on crowding an old lady who was dressed like a priestess. Her gray hair was tied back in a ponytail and an eye patch was covering her left eye. A simple archery bow was in her hands and a quiver filed with arrows was on her back.

"Lady Kaede!" one of the young children called. "Tell us a story!"

"Yeah, yeah!" nodded a tiny girl. "Please?"

"Oh ye children," the old lady, Kaede sighed with a smile. "I wonder if I do have a story for ye."

"PLEEEEEEEAAAAAAASSE?!" the children asked cutely.

"Hmm, let an old woman think," Kaede smiled.

As Kaede attempted to think of a story for the eager children, a strange song began to fill the air. Looking up in confusion, Kaede gripped he bow and prepared to grab an arrow. Music did not just start playing for no reason. In her experience, many demons used music to activate their magic. As such, Kaede kept her remaining eye trained on her surroundings.

She wasn't alone either. Men were grabbing weapons in case something happened while the women were grabbing their children and bringing them back into their homes. Still, there was one door that opened with someone coming out.

"What the hell is all the noise?" a gruff voice asked.

The person coming out of the cabin was a unique character. He was wearing a red haori and wasn't wearing any sandals, opting for his bare feet. A katana was hanging at his waist. His nails were sharp and were known to cut through a lot of things. A head of silver hair was on his shoulders with a tooth and bead necklace around his neck. His eyes were a gold color, but the oddest trait he had was the pair of dog ears on top of his head.

Meet Inuyasha. The half-demon hero of the Feudal Era.

"Inuyasha, wait up!" a female voice huffed from behind the young man.

This was a young woman who looked to be in junior high or just entering high school. She had long black hair which was reaching to her back. Strangely, she was wearing a uniform from the modern day junior high school. She had an archery bow and a full quiver with her as well. She definitely wasn't around this era if her clothes were any indication.

She was the girl from the future, Kagome Higurashi

On Kagome's shoulder seemed to be a small child wearing a blue shirt with dark pants and a furry vest. However, his feet were something of a fox along with the tail coming from the seat of his pants. He had red hair tied up in a ponytail and pointed ears.

This was the fox demon child named Shippo

Over near the other houses of the village, a young man in Buddhist monk robes and carrying a staff walked from between two houses. He had short black hair that had a small ponytail at the back. Strangely, his right hand was covered in violet fabric and wrapped in a rosary. For some reason, he had a red handprint on the side of his face.

This was Miroku the cursed monk.

Beside him was a young woman who was shrugging off the last of her yukata. Underneath she was wearing a form fitting body armor with pink pieces and a sword at her hip. A metal breathing mask hung from her neck and her long brown hair was done up in a ponytail Hanging from her back was a large boomerang which she kept a strap on the end firmly in her grasp.

She was one of the only two demon slayers left, Sango.

"Kagome!" Sango cried as she and Miroku dashed over to their friends. "Do any of you know what that music is?"

"No," Kagome answered. "I can't tell where it's coming from."

"Sounds nice though," Shippo commented. "Maybe it's friendly."

"Feh, I don't care either way," Inuyasha frowned. "If it gets too close then I'm gonna cut it to pieces. Damn music is getting on my nerves."

"Everything gets on your nerves," Kagome retorted flatly.

Suddenly, a strange metal serpent colored red, white and black came darting out of a rainbow colored portal, riding on a track lined with torches. People screamed and yelled as they struggled to get out of the way. It scraped several of the huts as I went past and actually crushed one that was in the way. Thankfully no one was in it. The small group could only watch as it went past.

"My word!" Miroku gasped.

"What kind of demon is this?" Sango frowned as she gripped her weapon.

"It's dead, that's what it is!" Inuyahsa growled before he drew his sword. In a flash of light, the hilt turned into a mess of fur while the blade grew several times its normal size and appeared to look like a giant fang.

"No way," Kagome gasped. "A train?"

"Huh?" Shippo blinked. "A…train? Kagome, do you know what that thing is?"

"Yeah," Kagome nodded. "It's not a demon at all. It's a machine from my time. They're used to carry people long distances. They aren't alive and they certainly aren't demons."

"So what do we do with it then?" asked Miroku.

"Well, someone has to be driving it," Kagome answered. "All we have to do is see if it stops and maybe we can get the driver to come out. We can get some answers then."

"Then I'm gonna get some answers," Inuyasha growled. Still gripping his sword he charged after the moving train.

They followed the strange train as best as they could. Still, it was getting away. When it had appeared that they were going to lose the giant machine, the wheels underneath it began to squeal, indicating that it had hit the brakes. Before their eyes, the machine had slowly come a stop just outside the village. With it finally standing still, the friends finally caught up with it.

"Kagome, you said people might be inside?" asked Sango. "How do we get them out?"

As if to reply Sango's question, a door on the side of the huge machine opened. The defenders held their breath for a moment as they waited for some sign of life. Finally, the form of a single human wearing bronze and black damiyo robes could be seen. However, any relief they felt from seeing a human died when the man was followed by five of the strangest demons that anyone in the group had ever seen. A man made of stone, a green-skinned man covered in metal, a man made of wood, a demonic clown, and a creature composed of many animals.

"Hmmm," the man smirked. "It seems we have guests already, men. How nice."

The five creatures just seemed to snigger and chuckle at the remark. They obviously felt that there was something funny in the situation. To the combat experienced group, they felt a fight coming on. These guys definitely weren't here for peaceful reasons.

"Now this brings back memories," the man smirked. "This is the village where the Shikon no Tama rests is it not?"

"Heh, shows what you know!" Inuyahsa snapped. "The jewel ain't here no more!"

"Is that so?" the man laughed. "Well, I have been gone a while then. But, all the better. If the jewel is not here then no one must come to this village. A perfect base of operations."

"Hey pal!" Kagome snapped, stepping forward. "You just come here and think you can take over this village just because you say so? Who do you think you are?!"

"It can't be!" the fried voice of Kaede gasped. Attention turned to the old woman who was at the edge of the village, staring at the lone human with a mixture of shock, fear and confusion. "It can't be you! The Fang King visited this village fifty years ago! Ye should be dead and buried by now!"

"Fifty years?" the man asked. He seemed almost surprised. "I have been gone a while. Well, I go by Gaoh these days." He seemed to look upon Kaede for a moment before realization adorned his face. "Ah, you are that one-eyed child that stayed with Kikyo. If you are this old hag now she must be in the ground. Heh. Such is the life of a miko. Work yourself into the ground. What a waste."

That was what made Inuyasha snap. Gripping his sword, the legendary Tetsusaiga, eh charged at the human with a scream of rage. The human didn't even seem to react, but his monstrous companions did. The green-skinned creature swiftly held up his arm which had a metal tube on it and blocked the Tetsusaiga. Sparks bounced off the steel before the green-skinned being pushed back and sent Inuyasha flying back. The half-demon landed on his feet and back with his friends.

"Do not lay your hands on Gaoh-sama, unless it is a quick death you wish for," the green-skinned creature growled out threateningly.

"Enough," Gaoh ordered, bringing his five creatures back to his side. "This half-breed seems to have a problem with my words. So, Genie, Chimera, Tower, Orchard, Clown, will you keep his companions busy while I deal with him?"

"Yes, Gaoh-sama!" the fierce creatures grinned before they charged at the group of defenders.

Gaoh walked casually towards Inuyasha. "So, you're the half-breed Inuyasha that Kikyo had drooling after her. I'm surprised you're even standing here and serving as the lapdog of humans."

"I ain't nobody's lapdog!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Well, I wish to see if all the rumors of your power are true," said Gaoh. "Shall we begin?" A flame formed at his waist and formed a strange belt as the strap wrapped around his waist and fastened on. The buckle itself looked like a metal square that had a red centre. The sides of the square were black. On the left side was a gray panel with a single button to be revealed. Gaoh pushed a button, bringing out a song that sounded like an organ from a horror movie, and then took out his gold Master Pass. He called out, "Henshin!" before tossing it into the air. The Pass hovered in the air before hovering down to the belt buckle.

"**Gaoh Form!**"

Shards of gold enveloped Gaoh's body and formed a black suit of armor with bronze gauntlets and boots. The chestplate was black and an odd helmet with large black eyes covered his head. The only color on the suit was the gold near the shoulders, on the hands, and on the stripes on the helmet. Slowly, additional bronze armor pieces appeared out of nowhere and attached themselves to his body. The new chest had a row of sharp teeth running down the centre that looked like a zipper and a pair of spikes that pointed upwards. His shoulders looked like the jaws of a crocodile. Finally, an alligator's head slid down his helmet and twisted around, reforming into a visor that looked like a pair of crocodile heads that were facing away, his eyes covered by rows of sharp teeth. Everyone gawked at Gaoh's transformation. What kind of magic was this?

"Show me your power," Gaoh spoke. "Then watch how easily I will crush it."

"I'll be the one doing the crushing around here!" Inuyasha roared as he charged at the armored human.

Goah didn't seem to care as he reached to his belt and pulled out two of the four black items. Connecting them, he threw them into the air before grabbing the remaining two. As the first items came down, Gaoh connected all four items together, allowing an orange jagged blade to grow from the top, forging a sword for him to use.

"Take this!" Inuyasha bellowed as he slashed downward, aiming to split the arrogant human right down the middle.

Gaoh reacted and held his blade horizontally, letting the Tetsusaiga crash against the metal in a rain of sparks. Moving quickly, Gaoh kicked Inuyahsa in the stomach, forcing him backwards before unleashing several slashes. The half-demon attempted to block, but Gaoh was proving to be an accomplished swordsman. Several of his strikes cut through his haori and into the flesh of his torso and arms. What was worse, these wounds weren't simple cuts, but jagged wounds thanks to the nature of his weapon.

"Grah!" Inuyasha groaned as he attempted to get some space between himself and Gaoh. "Heh, think you're all that eh? I'll show you!"

Dashing forward, Inuyasha attempted to use a flurry of strikes, hoping that quantity would overcome quality.

"I am not impressed," Gaoh sighed as he parried the blows with a speed that not many humans possessed. "And I thought one with demon blood in his veins would be a challenge."

"Wha-?" Inuyasha managed to get out before his latest slash was parried and the GaoGasher sword came up and cut a jagged wound in the middle of his chest. "Agh!"

"I have to admit, you are durable," Gaoh commented as he flicked the blood from his sword. "Not many have lived after they suffered as many wounds as you have. I am rather curious as to see just how much damage you can take before you bleed to death."

"Grrr," Inuyahsa growled as he stood up, ready for another round.

"A…a Kamen Rider?!" Kagome gasped as she witnessed the transformation of the man who controlled the monsters.

The last time Kagome had been home from the Feudal Era, her brother Souta had seemed to have turned into a complete Otaku for some costumed guys who were in a district near where they lived. They were called Kamen Riders and a lot of people considered them to be the opposite end of the Sailor Senshi. The girls were swooning over them and the boys looked up to them. Souta's favorite was the gold axe-wielding Rider because it reminded him about the legend of Kintaro. Her friends Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were fangirls of the red, blue, and purple Riders respectively. Privately, Kagome liked the two green Riders better.

Seeing a Kamen Rider for herself was a shocking experience. Still, just knowing that this man was evil was an even greater shock. What would Souta think if he ever found out?

"Kagome!" Shippo cried into her ear. "Look out!"

"Huh?" Kagome gasped, coming out of her daze.

"Wheeeeeee!!"

Looking forward, Kagome realized that the clown-like monster was coming at her. Relying on her reflexes, honed by battles against countless demons, she grabbed an arrow and notched it in her bow before taking aim at the demented clown.

"Eat miko power you weirdo!" Kagome cried as she let the energy filled arrow fly. She fully expected to blow the Clown away in a single shot.

"Wooo hooo!" Clown laughed as he somehow pulled a catchers mitt out of his sleeve and slipped it on. Holding it out, he actually managed to catch the arrow, showing no strain while doing it!

"Huh?!" Shippo gaped "But that arrow should have vaporized him!"

"Yeah. Shouldn't something have happened?"

"Hyuk hyuk hyuk!" the Clown Imagin laughed as he pulled out what looked like a toy mallet with very real spikes in it. "The joke's on you!"

"AHHHHH!!" Kagome and Shippo cried out as the Clown charged at them.

Leaping up into the air, the Clown reared back for a downward slam which would crush both Kagome and Shippo in one smash. Stumbling back, Kagome managed to avoid getting crushed, but she tripped backwards and fell on her butt. Sensing an easy kill, the Clown Imagin leaped forward to aim his hammer again.

"Stay away from Kagome!" Shippo cried as he leaped off her shoulder. "_Foxfire!_"

The little fox child hurled of several balls of blue fire. Sadly, they were proving to be rather ineffective, leaving only small singed areas on Clown's outfit. Perhaps if Shippo was older he might have been able to hurt the monster, but that day wasn't today. The Clown just continued coming closer with the intent to crush both human and fox child.

Suddenly, all fighting ceased as a second train sped out from another portal, this time with two cars. One had a hawk's head and was being pulled by another with a bull's head. As it was speeding past, something came out from the bull headed car and dashed towards Shippo. It picked up the little fox boy and held him protectively while carrying him to safety. The strange figure was riding a strange two-wheeled vehicle similar to Kagome's bicycle but more advanced. Shippo looked up at the armored man who looked down to him with his green eyes.

"Are you okay?" Zeronos AF asked.

"Uh…yeah," the tiny kitsune nodded.

"Shippo!" Kagome cried as she ran to the armored person who saved him. Grabbing the young boy, she hugged him tightly. "Oh thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Ah shucks," Zeronos AF laughed. "No problem," He then turned to face the surprised Clown Imagin and the others who were staring at him. That was including the bloody Inuyasha and stoic Gaoh.

"Dammit," Zeronos AF frowned. "He's a Rider too? This is just getting better and better."

Gaoh turned his attention away from the bloody Inuyasha so that he could train his attention on the green Rider, "I have been expecting you. You're earlier than I thought you would be."

"What can I say?" Zeronos AF asked as he dismounted from the Zerohorn and pulled the handle of his Zerogasher out. "I exceed expectations." Attaching it to his blade, he drew it out, allowing the blade to extend into its sword configuration. "So let me say this from the start. I am VERY strong!"

"Hmph!" Gaoh snorted. Gripping his Gaohgasher, he faced Zeronos AF. "I will believe that when I see it."

"Then I'll prove it!" Zeronos AF called before he charged at Gaoh.

As the battle between Riders began, no one noticed that there were other people who had gotten off the ZeroLiner with Zeronos AF. Off behind some trees, Ranma and Hana were carefully watching the fight between the weird people and the Imagin.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Hana asked with no small amount of concern, "I mean, how can we sneak around all that?"

"I know a pretty good way," Ranma frowned. "If there was a reason to use the UmiSenKen, this is it."

"Umi-what?" Hana blinked.

"Saotome sealed techniques," Ranma frowned. "My Pop created them, but he sealed them. Said they were too dangerous. I half agree, but I think he did it since the cops would have been able to track him with them since he used them to break into houses and steal stuff."

Hana blinked in shock. Despite the seriousness of the situation, she was still amazed at how Genma and his idiocy seemed to know no end. He created martial arts techniques for the sole purpose of breaking into houses and stealing stuff.

"So how is the UmiSenKen supposed to help us?" she asked.

"It was used by Pop for sneaking into places, but really called Sea of a Thousand Fists," Ranma explained. "It's perfect for stealth attacks and moving undetected."

"So how are you supposed to use it?" asked Hana.

"I invert my ki," Ranma explained. "Now keep quiet. I need to concentrate."

Unknown to many people, Ranma had may have sealed the two scrolls of forbidden techniques, but that didn't mean he didn't practice with them. As such, he had taken the opening technique of the UmiSenKen to a new level. By butting his battle aura over his body and then inverting it instead of collecting it in his body, he was able to make himself harder to see along with harder to sense.

Activating the revised opening technique of the UmiSenKen, Ranma's image began to blur before beginning to blend in with the scenery. Hana had to rub her eyes several times, unsure if she had really seen Ranma vanish like he had. The area where he had been was a little blurry, but otherwise hard to see.

Satisfied that he was hidden from sight, Ranma began creeping toward the DenLiner with the intent of rescuing his friends. Rescuing friends was something Ranma was familiar with, but at least this time his friends hadn't been kidnapped because of some stupid rival or jealous fiancée thinking they had the perfect plan.

Beginning his trek, Ranma moved through the open area, making sure he stayed away from the battle. Watching he saw that the guy in monk robes was fighting both the Orchard and Chimera Imagin while the admittedly cute girl with the boomerang was going against the Genie and Tower Imagin. Oddly the schoolgirl was hanging back while the Clown Imagin seemed content in scaring her for its own amusement. The silver-haired guy with the huge sword was struggling to get back to his feet while Zeronos AF was fighting Gaoh, and losing.

'_Gotta act fast!_' Ranma said to himself.

The UmiSenken had risen up to its name as Ranma managed to move around the battle without anyone noticing that he was there. It was a close call when the cute girl's boomerang cut up the ground in front of him, but Ranma was able to keep his cool and continue on. Thankfully Gaoh and his goons had left the entrance to the DenLiner open. Ranma was able to slip inside easily before releasing the technique.

"Hey guys!" he called as he dashed into the dining car. "It's a jailbreak!"

From their prison, Urataros, Kintaros, and Sieg all suddenly perked up from their gloom.

"Ranma-kun!"

"Ranma-sama!"

"Boy!"

From her seat, Naomi smiled brightly and sheered, "Yay Ranma! You found us!"

Looking over, Ranma saw that Ryutaros seemed to be asleep. Leaning down, he looked the purple Imagin over with no small amount of concern of his own. Looking up to Naomi, he began to speak, "How's he doing?"

"Sleeping soundly," Naomi smiled. "He's okay!"

"Good," Ranma smiled before standing up. "Now I've got some friends to free."

Heading over to the strange cage, Ranma began to look it over. He definitely knew that one of the enemy Imagin had put it together. The problem was getting it down. One way was probably destroy the Imagin that made it, but he;d need backup considering all the chaos that was happening outside.

"Be careful!" Urataros warned. "It's electrified."

"Thanks for the tip," Ranma sighed. "But do any of you have any clue how to get this thing down?"

"If we did, we would have done it by now," Sieg commented, as aloof as one could be when they were locked in a cage.

"It seems, that it is time to leave," Owner commented from his booth. Reaching down to his plate, he picked up the flag which accompanied his meals. Taking it in his fingers, he threw it at the field, point first. The little flag struck the cage, making it buzz with loud crackles before it flashed several times. There was a final sizzling noise before it vanished completely.

"Woah," Ranma blinked before he turned to the enigmatic gentleman. "You're going to teach me that sometime."

"Nyaaaaahhhh!" a childish voice yawned from behind the counter at the bar. "Nice nap. Hi Naomi-chan!"

"Ryu-chan!" the excitable hostess of the dining car squealed. "You're awake!"

That was enough for Ranma and the remaining members of the Taros-tachii to come running. They crowded around the sleepy purple Imagin as he sat up, looking curious at his friends.

"Hiya Nii-chan!" Ryutaros smiled. "Did we beat the bad guy?"

"Yeah we did," Ranma laughed in sheer relief. "But another bad guy showed up. We need to get off DenLiner. Him and other Imagin are fighting outside."

"_WINDSCAR!!_" A voice that none of the train occupants recognized roared. Yellow light flashed through the DenLiner windows before the earth shook.

"And there's some people outside fighting Imagin," Ranma admitted. "Tenma's fighting the boss so we need to hurry."

"I look forward to paying Gaoh back for his actions!" Kintaros declared as he snapped his neck.

"The fool will pay for his rudeness to me," Sieg promised.

"Yay! Sounds fun!" Ryutaros cheered as he hopped to his feet.

"I'm not sure Ranma," Urataros pondered. "As powerful as Gaoh has revealed himself to be, we might be better to use a strategic retreat until we know more about him."

"Did I mention that there are two cute girls out there who need help too?" Ranma asked.

"Are there?" Urataros asked, suddenly getting interested. "Then I suppose we cannot turn our backs to those in need."

"Good," Ranma nodded. "Owner, Naomi, wait until we manage to get Gaoh and his goon squad away. Then make a break for Hana."

"Hai!" Naomi nodded with a smile. Owner merely nodded as he stood up and fixed the lapels of his jacket.

Now sure that Owner and Naomi were safe, Ranma and his friends made a beeline for the exit. Ranma quickly hopped out and onto the grassy ground, and the three four Imagin followed him. Naturally, Sieg didn't turn to sand since Kasumi had made a wish on him back in the present, but neither did Ranma's Imagin. They didn't have time to consider that mystery before the Tower Imagin looked up from where he was fighting the cute girl with the boomerang.

"Gaoh-sama!" he cried. "The prisoners have escaped!"

The bronze Rider looked up from his battle with Zeronos. Slashing the green Rider across his chest so to get him to back off, Gaoh turned to face Ranma and his Imagin friends. Resting his blade on his shoulder, he took a few steps closer regard them.

"Didn't I beat you pests already?" he sighed. "Must I teach you that lesson again?"

"Heh," Ranma grinned as he pulled out his Den-O belt. "Hey, I'm Ranma Saotome. I never lose, I just have setbacks."

"Saotome?" asked Gaoh in slight interest.

"Yeah," Ranma nodded as he wrapped the belt around his waist. Pressing the red button, he let the DenLiner tune begin to play. "Henshin!"

"**Sword Form!**" the belt called as Ranma swiped the Hyper Pass over the buckle. The Plar Form armor appeared over his body before the Sword Form configuration of the extra armor appeared and placed itself over his body. Finally, a red peach slid down his face before changing into a pair of eyepieces and attaching itself to Den-O's face.

"Ore sanjou!" Den-O SF announced as he struck a pose.

"S-sugoi!" the black-haired schoolgirl gasped.

"Now, I think I owe someone here an ass kicking!" Den-O SF snorted as he reached to the first pieces of the DenGasher. Connecting them together, he threw them into the air. "I think I'll start with you, Fang-boy!" The statement was added with the final pieces of the DenGasher coming together to create the sword configuration, complete with a red blade.

"Hmph!" Gaoh snorted. "If you want to die so badly, then who am I to refuse such a request?"

"You talk big," Den-O SF snorted. "Let's see you follow through!"

With a battle cry, Den-O and his Imagin friends made their charge, brandishing their weapons. Ryutaros was holding a purple double handed gun with diamond designs on it. Kintaros had a large yellow and black axe that had a twisted handle. Urataros was holding a blue staff with hexagonal points. Sieg himself had a white boomerang and a white axe which had a feather motif to them.

Gaoh charged alone, not even letting his lackeys know what was happening. Den-O reached the rouge Rider first and the pair crossed blades. Den-O SF attempted to reroute the attack, but Gaoh was quicker, elbowing the crimson Rider in the gut. As Den-O SF stumbled back, Gaoh used an upper slash that sent sparks raining from the impact. As Den-O was reeling, Urataros and Kintaros made their move. The Turtle Imagin went low while the Bear Imagin aimed high. Gaoh reacted quickly as he leaped over the staff, but he managed to catch the axe on his blade.

"Hnnn!" Gaoh grunted as Kintaros pressed his mighty strength into the attack. Gaoh was actually being forced back. The dirt tracks he was leaving in the ground were proof enough of that.

"My strength WILL make you cry!" Kintaros grunted as he continued pushing.

Gaoh growled menacingly under the strain. Concentrating, flame-like energy began to collect in his left leg. Quickly, the armor on Gaoh's leg began to glow a golden orange with the power concentrate in it.

"I will NEVER show such weakness!" Gaoh roared as he unleashed a kick. As the appendage hit Kintaros in the abdomen, it unleashed the explosive energy.

With a deep-throated cry, Kintaros was sent flying. His flight eventually ended when he collided against the side of the DenLiner. He slumped to the ground next to his axe, clearly not ready to continue immediately. Turning around, Gaoh was met with a forward thrust by Urataros. Leaping into the air, Gaoh came back down to stand on top of the staff like he weighed nothing.

"N-nani?!" Urataros gasped in shock.

"Predictable," Gaoh sighed. He kicked Urataros in the head with a savage kick, making him stumble. Leaping off the staff and onto the ground, Gaoh pressed the assault and began slashing Urataros at a speed that could match the Amaguriken.

"Agh!" Urataros cried as he dropped onto the ground, his staff landing just out of his arm's reach.

Gaoh shook his head before he suddenly hopped to the side, narrowly avoiding a bullet that hit the ground and a boomerang that whizzed past where his head had been a moment ago.

"Bang bang!" Ryutaros laughed as he fired more rounds.

"Retribution is nigh, fiend!" Sieg called as he caught his boomerang.

Deflecting several bullets with his sword and dodging the boomerang again, Gaoh hid behind a tree. Snorting in agitation, he raised his hand. The golden orange energy raced into his arm and collected into an orb of flaming energy. Turning to look at the two Imagin attacking him, he leaped out from his cover and hurled the sphere.

"_Ten'no Kiba Ha!_" he roared as he unleashed the blast.

The incoming blast melted the bullets Ryutaros had fired and knocked Sieg's boomerang off course. Both he Dragon and Swan Imagin were caught off guard as the blast hit them. A flaming exlposion roared out, sending the pair flying with cries of pain.

Zeronos AF, getting his second wind with anger at seeing his 'older brothers' being abused like they were, charged with his ZeroGasher in its Bow Gun. He fired off several rounds, hoping to get Gaoh in the back. Somehow, the rogue Rider seemed to anticipate the attack and ducked underneath the blasts. Getting up, he dashed forward, before rolling off another round of shots. Standing up, he thrust his hand forward and caught Zeronos AF by the throat.

"You're beginning to annoy me, insect," Gaoh frowned behind his mask. He then threw Zeronos to the side, letting his green counterpart crash on the ground next to Den-O SF.

Walking forward, he drew his golden Master Pass and held it above his head, "I will end you both now."

Dropping the pass, it hovered over the belt, "**Full Charge!**" An infinity symbol made of gold energy appeared over the belt as the pass dropped again before the symbol broke and began charging up Gaoh's weapon.

"Kuso!" Den-O SF cried as he pulled out his Hyper Pass and swiped it over his belt. "**Full Charge!**"

"Oh man!"Zeronos moaned as he also got to his feet and pressed a button on his own belt. "**Full Charge!**" Grapping his energized card, he yanked it from his belt and punched it into his ZeroGasher.

"And now, face my HissatsuWaza," Gaoh snorted as he raised his sword into the air. Ina flash of gold, the blade broke off from the GaohGasher and spun in a tornado.

"You damn copycat!" Den-O SF roared. "I'll show you the real hissatsu!" The red blade broke off in a haze of red energy and rose into the air.

"This isn't the time for copyright issues!" Zeronos AF cried as he took aim with the glowing tip of his ZeroGasher.

Gaoh brought his arm back, letting the spinning blade follow the weapon and cut through some tree branches in the process. Then with a single forward motion, the spinning blade began to fly at the two Riders in front of him. At the same time, Den-O SF and Zeronos AF sent their finishers at Gaoh in the form of a green A and a flying red blade. All three attacks met in the air, colliding with a rain of sparks and a flash of light. It quickly ended when the orange blade cut through the green A and knocked the red blade out of the air.

"KUSOOO!" Den-O SF cried before the blade collided with both him and his green ally.

Both Riders cried out in pain as the attack hit them. Their armor vanished in a rain of green and red shards of energy as their bodies flew backwards. Colliding with the dirt were Tenma, Ranma, and a solid Momotaros, all three smoking from the energy which hit them.

Gaoh looked around and saw all that had attacked him had been defeated. Snorting, he looked over to his minions who seemed to be finishing up. Clown Imagin was scaring the kitsune child while the girl attempted to shoot him with arrows, only to miss. The monk was being held in a headlock by Orchard. The monk seemed to be missing his staff and sporting a black eye. The demon slayer was being overworked by Tower and Genie seemed to be dealing with a fire cat of some kind that Gaoh hadn't noticed before. Chimera was dealing with the half-demon, making sure that he couldn't unleash that sword technique again.

"Genie, Clown, Chimera, Orchard, Tower!" Gaoh barked to his solders. "We're leaving!"

The five evil Imagin suddenly stopped their fights and let their opponents go. Walking over to their leader, and waited for further orders. Gaoh merely grabbed his belt and pulled it off, undoing his transformation in a haze of gold shards. He looked over to the unconscious and wounded fighters with a look of boredom.

"And that is the difference between my power and yours," Gaoh commented. "Keep the train. We no longer need it."

With that, Gaoh and his Imagin soldiers headed out into the forest. Behind them were groans of pain and wounded defenders who had been so soundly defeated.

"Kagome!" Shippo bawled as he leaped into the schoolgirl's arms. "That guy was scary!"

"I know, I know," Kagome cooed. Heading over to her friends, she looked them over. "Is everyone okay?"

"I am fine, Lady Kagome," Miroku groaned as he got to his feet. He tried to smile, but the black eye looked like it actually hurt.

"I am fine," Sango breathed heavily. She was favoring her side, indicating that the monsters she had been fighting had hit her in the torso rather hard.

"Dammit," Inuyasha spat. It wasn't enough that armored human cut him up, but that damn demon hanging out with him had kicked his ass. "I'm gonna kill him when I see him again."

Kagome sighed at her half-demon love interest. He sure didn't look in any shape to be fighting anyone. His torso was cut up and blood was leaking from the wounds and the smaller cuts on his arms. He was leaning on the Tetsusaiga for support, indicating how weak his legs were at the moment.

"Ye all fought valiantly," Kaede spoke as she walked closer. "Thankfully no lives were lost today."

"Some help you were," Inuyasha growled.

"I and Kilala were making sure that none of the creatures were going to attack the village," Kaede frowned. Her single eye then turned to the wounded and unconscious DenLiner and ZeroLiner crew. "What about the defenders who fought the Fang King?"

"I say leave 'em," Inuyasha snorted.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried in shock. "They fought that guy too!"

"And they have the same armor!" Inuyasha argued. "Not to mention they have those weird demons with them too! You expect me to trust them?"

"You don't trust anyone," Shippo commented flatly.

"I say we should help them," Miroku argued. "They may have an idea just what is going on."

The group looked back to the fallen defenders and the white and red train which was still the same. However, they had noticed someone new had appeared on the scene. A woman wearing a frilly black skirt and a white top was beside the pigtailed fellow's body. Furthermore, a woman in a very tight outfit and a distinguished were stepping out of the machine Kagome had called a train

"Oh my," the monk blinked. "What is this I see? Now I know we must help."

He walked forward only a step before Sango reached out and caught him by his ear. Tugging sharply, she pulled him back to the rest of the group. Her eyes were narrowed dangerously and there was almost fiery aura around her. Even injured, she still looked dangerous.

"Oh no you don't," she frowned.

"I had better talk to them," Kagome sighed. "They look like they are from my time anyway."

"What?!" Inuyasha barked. "Like hell!"

"Sit!" Kagome said simply. Inuyasha's beads flashed purple before his face was dragged into the ground with a sharp crack. Sighing, Kagome trekked over to the group of people and odd creatures.

"Ow," Ranma groaned as he rubbed his head. Opening his eyes, he saw Hana and Naomi looking down on him with concern in their eyes. "Hey. How's it going?"

"You dope!" Hana huffed. "You almost got yourselves killed, that's what!"

"So the usual for me then," Ranma groaned.

"Ranma-kun," Naomi sighed.

"Hey," Tenma groaned. "I'm hurt too. Why are the cute girls fawning over you Pop?"

"Bakas," Hana huffed, but there was no mistaking the affection in her voice.

Soft groans and complaints of pain echoed in the area. Looking around, the two Riders and their friends all felt relief seeing that the five Imagin were okay. All of them were in the process of picking themselves up. They looked a little worse for wear, but still alive and that was what counted.

"Hello?" a new voice asked.

Turning to the source, Ranma saw that it was the girl in the school uniform that he had spotted before. She was cautiously coming closer to them, but it looked like she was concerned about their well-being.

"Are you guys okay?" she asked. "Is anyone seriously hurt?"

"I think we're all okay," Ranma groaned as he pushed himself up to her feet. "Just who are you anyway."

"Oh, my name's Kagome Higurashi," the girl smiled. "You said your name was Ranma, right? I heard you during the fight."

"That's right," Ranma nodded. "Well Kagome, what we need is some rest and relaxation. We're all going to be sporting some bruises for a while."

"Well, I think we have some space for you all," Kagome smiled. "We'd be happy to have you."

"Like hell we will!" the guy with silver hair shouted from the back.

"Sit!" Kagome snapped before the silver-haired guy suddenly began to eat dirt again. "As I was saying, I'm sure we have lots of space for you."

Eventually, all of the people who were on the train were back into the village. The villagers were hiding in their homes and sending fearful glances at the wounded Imagin. Eventually, they were all situated inside Kaede's hut with tea cooking in a kettle.

"Ah my aching head," Momotaros groaned as he held an icepack to his head. Naomi had brought numerous supplies from DenLiner so to help her friends.

"You aren't the only one, Sempai," Urataros groaned.

"I told you that you were heavy, Kintaros," Ranma muttered as he attempted to get his arm back in working order.

"It's still all muscle!" Kintaros snorted. He would have cracked his neck, but his back was hurting too much for it.

Kagome and Naomi were treating everyone in the room for their injuries. Kagome had given Miroku an icepack for his eye while Sango's midsection was taped so her ribs, if cracked, would set easily. Inuyasha was being treated by both Naomi and Kagome since he had so many wounds. Sieg and Ryutaros looked a little singed, but aside from bumps on the head they were fine. Ranma and Tenma were sore all over, but nothing worse than that. Hana was tending to the fire and the tea since she didn't have any experience with medicine.

It had taken a while, but Ranma, Tenma, and Hana had managed to explain who they were and just what the heck was going on. Everyone had been patient, but they were brimming with questions that they just wanted to be answered.

"Wow," Kagome breathed. "And I thought that the only way to travel through time was with the Bone Eaters Well."

"Well, with DenLiner and my train the ZeroLiner, it's possible," Tenma sighed. "Me and Pop have done it all the time."

"So you are really Ranma's son from the future?" Sango asked with some apprehension.

"I don't believe a word of this!" Inuyasha barked. "Your story is a load of bull. I just bet that you came from some corner of hell or something with a bunch of demons to help you."

"We aren't demons, dog-boy!" Momotaros snapped. "Get that through your head!"

"Relax, Momotaros," Ranma sighed. "If he doesn't want to accept reality then let him live in his denial."

"What?" Inuyasha growled. "Listen pal! You have no idea how things work around here! Demons are always lurking around the corner and you never know what kind of tricks they have planned!"

"Sounds like Nerima and all the people I have to fight," Ranma grunted. "You're pretty tough. But you're the one who's clueless."

"Heh, I may be dumb, but I don't get my butt kicked five seconds into a fight!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Last I saw you got your ass kicked pretty hard too," Ranma frowned. "I managed to launch a real attack at him. You were just swinging your sword like a maniac."

"Hey! I worked for my skills!" Inuyasha growled.

"You call those skills? You don't have a clue how to fight for real!" Ranma snorted.

"I'll show you who can fight!" Inuyasha roared.

"You know," Shippo commented from his seat next to Ryutaros. He was looking up at the purple Imagin he was sharing candy with. "Call me crazy, but they look a lot alike."

"Yeah, yeah!" Ryutaros nodded. "Weird."

"We do not!" both Ranma and Inuyasha snapped at the same time. Hearing the other say what they had spoke, they turned to each other. "Hey! Stop copying me!"

"Enough!" Hana cried, bonking both young men over the head and forcing them to their seats. "What we need to do is find out why Gaoh is here and what he plans to do."

"Yeah yeah," Ranma sighed. He then looked over to where Owner and Kaede were watching the proceedings. "So what about it, Owner? You have any idea just what this Gaoh jerk wants?"

"I do, Ranma-kun," Owner nodded. "What Gaoh has come to this time for is the train of time that rides God's Line."

"The GaoLiner?" asked Tenma. "Isn't that a myth?"

"God's Line was a myth too, Tenma-kun," Owner replied. "Yet all of us had traveled down it. The Imagin have felt its power, which is why they stand before us, solid and real."

"I was wondering about that," Ranma nodded. "So he wants the GaoLiner. Why does he want it so bad?"

"The GaoLiner isn't like the DenLiner or the ZeroLiner," Owner explained. "It was the first of the trains of time and will probably outlive all the others. It has powers that we can only dream of."

"Like what?" asked Hana.

"The GaoLiner has the ability to change and even erase time," Owner explained, bringing gasps from many members of the audience. "It is because of this power that the GaoLiner is called God's Train. To hold this train is to hold time."

"And if someone like Gaoh gets his hands on it," Tenma gasped. Th implications were better left unsaid.

"But shouldn't Gaoh be the one who uses the train?" asked Ranma. "I mean, it has his name in it!"

"Kamen Rider Gaoh is the Rider who rides GaoLiner, but there has not been a Gaoh since the first," Owner continued.

"Why not?" asked Shippo, liking the story.

"It was before my time," Owner admitted. "What I know is that the first Gaoh had grown corrupted by his power. He became a threat to time and thus was defeated. After his downfall, the GaoLiner and the Gaoh Rider System was sealed away, to never be used."

"Well you guys did a hell of a job sealing it," Inuyasha snorted. "This guy found it."

"And no one worse to find it," Kaede spoke darkly. "Only Naraku would be a worse choice for this power to go to."

"Huh?" asked Kagome. "Do you know something about Gaoh, Kaede?"

"Indeed," Kaede nodded as she took the centre stage. "Gaoh is also known as the Fang King. He earned that name from the way he decimated his enemies on the battlefield. His exploits were known far and wide, making him an infamous warrior."

"Woah," Shippo gasped. "Sounds like he was a tough guy."

"Indeed," Kaede nodded. "Fifty years ago, he came to the village in search of the Shikon Jewel. He had a sweet tongue and a gift for bargaining. He offered to free my sister from her oaths by making her his wife and taking the jewel for himself."

"WHAT?!" Inuyasha roared. "That guy tried to take Kikyo?! Where the hell was I?"

"You had only just met my sister when he came," Kaede explained. "You only came every so often. He was gone by the time you returned."

"He doesn't strike me as the type to leave without getting what he wants," Miroku pondered. "Am I wrong?"

"Indeed," Kaede sighed tiredly. "He had come with a group of soldiers as a silent threat to if we refused him. If it were not for a demon attacking that day, the soldiers may have forced the jewel from our hands. Seeing that he had no hold over us, the Fang King had left for parts unknown."

"Is there anything else we need to know about him?" asked Sango. Her experiences told her that knowledge of an enemy was a great asset in battle.

"Only rumors," Kaede continued. "But I shiver to recall them."

"Lay it on us then," Inuyasha frowned.

"The Fang King had once served a lord nearby," Kaede explained. "However, he had overthrown the lord and taken his position himself with his fellow soldiers. He had wanted to use the Shikon Jewel to bring new power. He promised many things to Kikyo if she agreed to relinquish it."

"So what happened after that demon killed his men?" asked Sango.

"His forces were crippled by that demon," Kaede explained. "Returning in defeat, he was weakened which other lords took notice of and quickly attacked him. I had thought he died."

"Obviously he didn't," Ranma frowned. "He must have found the Gaoh system and saved himself with those Imagin."

"If he found the Rider system in this era, then the GaoLiner can't be far," Tenma nodded. "Owner, do we know where the GaoLiner is?"

"The GaoLiner was sealed so that no one would know where it is and thus no one would search for it," Owner answered. "However, it might have been noticed by those of this time."

"Maybe," Kagome frowned. "Kaede, has there been anything like the train in any of the rumors?"

"Aye, child," Kaede nodded. "In the time of my grandmother, a demonic serpent descended from the heavens and attacked wildly. It had a fiery breath and destructive spines which it used without care. No weapon seemed to hurt it for it had skin like steel."

"Sounds like a train," Urataros sighed, rubbing his head. "How did they stop it?"

"They had lured it to a holy mountain where monks made a pilgrimage," Kaede explained. The men hiding there made a landslide which buried the beast beneath the rubble. The monks there then placed several seals on the rubble. Finally, they had built a shrine over it to make sure the seals never broke."

"Woah," Ryutaros and Shippo breathed in awe.

"Those monks are villagers are truly strong in spirit and body!" Kintaros admired.

"Could that really stop something as powerful as the GaoLiner?" asked Hana.

"The GaoLiner is God's Train," Owner answered. "It is not too hard to believe that the faith in God can stop it. Only Gaoh himself could reactivate it."

"How do we even know that the snake is that…GaoLiner?" asked Inuyasha. "Do you even have a picture of it?"

"I do," Kaede answered. Shuffling to a corner of the room, she opened a small chest and pulled out a scroll. Untying the string which held it together, she unfurled it. Letting in roll open, a picture was revealed. On it, what looked to be a black snake with an orange head and back was seen slithering up a mountain while men were throwing rocks at it.

"Okay, is that the GaoLiner?" asked Tenma.

"It has the color scheme," Hana admitted, remembering the color of Gaoh's armor. "Owner?"

"It is indeed the GaoLiner," Owner spoke.

"Wonderful," Ranma sighed. "Kaede, how many people know this story?"

"It has been told form parent to child for many years. Almost everyone has heard it," Kaede answered.

"Then that teme knows right where the GaoLiner is!" Momotaros growled. "He's already on his way!"

"And we are all obviously in no shape to go after him," Urataros sighed. "Kaede-san, how far away is this mountain?"

"Many days," Kaede answered. "And while the ogre is right, you all must heal before you attempt to stop the Fang King."

"Besides," Tenma added. "We can use the DenLiner and the ZeroLiner to get there ahead of him."

"Yah, but he let us have the DenLiner back," Ranma reminded the group. "Obviously he doesn't care how long it takes to get there. He knows he can take us again."

The mood in the room drooped at the realization at that. Gaoh and his minions had defeated them all without breaking a sweat. Now they were all too wounded to go after him for a while. If they weren't too late to stop him by the time they did recover, they would be in for the fight of their lives. Either way, the future did not look to pleasant at the moment.

"Tea's ready!" Naomi spoke brightly as she hefted up the kettle to put the tea into a teapot.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Ore Tanjou begins! We see fights and butt kickings all over the board. Even more, we see that a certain Feudal Fairytale has become part of the story. Well? What do you all think?

P.S. My gratitude to ZK Chromedragozoid for helping out with this fic when I deeded it.


	16. Ore Tanjou RanO Remix Part 2

I do not own Kamen Rider Dan-O, Ranma ½, or Inuyasha. They belong to their respective creators. I am only writing this for fun and enjoyment. I hope you all enjoy this too.

Kamen Rider Ran-O

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 16: Ore Tanjou Ran-O Remix 2

It had been a grim few days for the crews of DenLiner and ZeroLiner. Ranma, Hana, and Tenma had gone after the DenLiner which had been hijacked by the rogue Rider calling himself Gaoh and his Imagin lackeys. The chase finally came to a stop in the Feudal Era of Japan where Gaoh picked a fight with a bunch of the locals. Tenma as Zeronos attempted to fight him while Ranma liberated his Imagin allies from their cage on DenLiner.

The fight didn't go in their favor. Even though they outnumbered Gaoh six to one, he still managed to kick their collective butts in one fell swoop. Just to add insult to injury, he left the DenLiner to Ranma and his friends while he and his minions walked away.

So, Ranma and the others were stuck in a village which existed in the past while they recovered from the battle. Thankfully Ranma and Tenma were quick healers while Imagin naturally healed quickly.

As they waited, Tenma brought in the ZeroLiner and let Ranko and Tamamos come out for some fun. She was a great hit with the children in the village along with the fox-child Shippo who took Tamamos as a sister figure.

Ranma, Momotaros, and Tenma were some of the most seriously hurt next to the half-demon Inuyasha so they had to wait in the aged priestess Kaede's cabin while they recovered. The pigtailed martial artists and the half-dog demon seemed to get along like oil and water, despite numerous insistences that they seemed to be cast from the same mold.

Both boys were surprised that Kagome was from their time, but didn't need a train to travel so far back in time. Owner's explanation was that while the trains were the best way to move through time, there were other methods which did not have so much security on them. Kagome's well was one such method.

The two Saotome boys also learned about the group that Inuyasha and Kagome ran with. Apparently they were looking for something called the Shikon no Tama, which had the ability to boost the powers of demons and wicked humans. Kagome had broken the thing and spread the shards all over the land and it was a race against an evil half-demon called Naraku who wanted to use the jewel for himself.

Miroku, the monk Ranma had met, had been hunting for Naraku all his life. The half-demon had cursed his grandfather with something called a Wind Tunnel. It was a void in his hand that could suck in anything, but would get bigger as he got older and eventually suck him in like it did to his grandfather and father. It was his hope that killing Naraku would break the curse.

The cute girl Ranma had spotted with the boomerang was Sango. She was a professional demon slayer, which Ranma thought was pretty cool. She used to be part of a village of them until Naraku assassinated the best of them and told a horde of demons where they were hidden, letting them decimate the village. Only Sango, her brother Kohaku whom Naraku enslaved, and their demon ally Kilala the fire cat remained.

Shippo was a little kid who adopted Kagome as a mother figure after she and Inuyasha avenged his father, who had been killed by a pair of demons calling themselves the Thunder Brothers. He had stuck to them like glue ever since. Being a kitsune, he was naturally good at tricks and liked to play jokes now and then. Tamamos adored him while Ranko couldn't keep away. Tenma was worried that he might influence his sister into becoming a prankster.

At the moment, Ranma was finally exiting the cabin while removing the last of his bandages. Tenma was already out while Inuyasha had healed way quicker than the rest of them. Shielding the sunlight from his eyes, he stepped out onto the dirt ground. Outside, Kagome was busy reading a school textbook

"Hey, Ranma," she smiled as she looked up. "How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good," Ranma nodded. "Where is everyone?"

"Well, Tenma and Deneb are watching Ranko and the village kids with Tamamos' help," Kagome explained. "Ryutaros is playing with them. Sieg is ordering a bunch of the villagers around and Kintaros is training with Sango. Owner, Naomi, and Hana are having tea outdoors with Kaede. Last I saw, Inuyasha and Momotaros were fighting over something while Miroku and Urataros were flirting with the girls."

"He never changes," Ranma chuckled. "How were they doing?"

"That's the funny thing," Kagome giggled. "Miroku keeps getting slapped while the girls mob to Urataros despite not being human."

"He does it when he's in my body all the time," Ranma nodded. "Do you think we're ready to go after Gaoh now? We can't waste any more time."

"Right!" Kagome nodded, growing serious. "I'll go get them."

"Good," Ranma nodded. "We can't let Gaoh get more of a head start than he already has."

As Kagome went to collect her friends, Ranma went to find some of his. What neither of them knew was that they were being watched, as they had been for the last few days. This spy came in the form of a wasp that could only be found in hell…

--**Elsewhere**—

Speaking of Gaoh, he and his five Imagin were walking along the paths which lead through the countryside. None of them broke ranks as they continued to head towards their target. Things were silent as they made their way. After a few moments, the Orchard Imagin spoke up.

"Gaoh-sama," he spoke. "Why did we leave the DenLiner to Den-O and his friends? We would have made better time just taking it there."

"Perhaps," Gaoh nodded. "But I wish to savor my greatest achievement while making sure Den-O and Zeronos are at full strength when they attempt to stop me."

"Why?" asked the Tower Imagin.

"For me, the challenge is just as important as the victory," Gaoh smirked. "Besides, if what I suspect of the two Riders is true, I will most enjoy what challenge they give to me."

"_So, you enjoy a challenge?_"

The group of bandits froze at the voice and Gaoh looked around trying to gauge where the voice was coming from. It seemed to come from nowhere, yet everywhere at the same time. Agitated, Gaoh demanded, "Who's there?"

"_No need to be hasty, my friend. I just wish to talk._"

"Then show yourself!" commanded Gaoh. He didn't like talking to thin air.

"_If you insist_."

A figure appeared before them and the evil Imagin got ready to defend their leader if this figure proved hostile in anyway. He didn't look overly threatening. He was covered from head to toe with a white baboon pelt. Even his head was covered by the skin of a baboon with eyeholes which allowed him to see.

"Who are you?" hissed the Chimera Imagin.

"I am known as Naraku, and let me say I've never seen demons quite like you," said Naraku. He was putting all his charm into his voice, aiming to befriend Gaoh.

"We're Imagin, not demons!" corrected the Genie Imagin harshly. Why did everyone assume they were demons? Well, aside that they looked pretty scary…and they had weird powers….and other things.

"Oh, my mistake," Naraku said apologetically. Of course he had no idea what an Imagin was. He didn't care that much about that detail anyway. "I couldn't help but see how you defeated that mongrel and his friends along with those two armored warriors. I applaud you."

"Don't try to butter me up," said Gaoh. "I'm not in the mood."

"Oh, the Fang King," said Naraku. He finally recognized the man in front of him now that he was close enough. He had seen the man before when he was Onigumo. He was lucky that he did not decide to cross paths with him then. "It's been awhile. You haven't aged a bit."

"I get that a lot, so what do you want, Naraku?"

"Like I said I saw the way you were fighting and I am impressed. So, I am prepared to pay you handsomely if you help me with a little extermination job. That armor of yours is impressive if I may add."

"It is, isn't it?" grinned Gaoh. "So, what do you want me to do?"

"Kill Inuyasha," ordered Naraku, "And his friends."

Gaoh seem to contemplate it before he laughed. This enraged Naraku. "What's so funny!?"

"Sorry, but I'm nobody's hired hand!" snorted Gaoh. His Imagin henchmen agreed. "Get someone else to do it for you!"

Naraku didn't like that tone of voice. It reminded him of too much of how Inuyasha would speak to him. Even more insulting, someone was turning him down "A shame then. I could have had many uses for one such as you. I will have to strip that armor from your dead body."

Naraku then wordlessly lunged for Gaoh. Instantly, his henchmen defended him with their personal weapons raised for the fight. Un-intimidated by the show of muscle, Naraku continued forward. Large brown tentacles which looked like they were made from either wood or clay erupted from under the cloak he wore. All of them were aimed at the aloof human who dared thought himself better than a demon.

Gaoh watched with a bored expression before summoning his belt in a haze of then took out his gold plated Master Pass and with a call of, "Henshin," tossed it into the air. It floated down and hovered in front of his belt.

"**Gaoh Form!**"

Bronze shards appeared in the air before forming onto Gaoh's body, giving him his base armor and bodysuit. Then the armor of his Gaoh Form appeared and attached itself to his body. Finally, the alligator head slid down his helmet before it unfolded and formed into his visor.

"Show me your strength," Gaoh challenged. As he spoke, he assembled his GaoGasher into its sword formation. "Then watch how easily I will crush it."

Naraku didn't offer a response as he sent his tentacles at the armored human. The attack didn't get too far before the Chimera Imagin leaped forward and shredded the tentacles that got too close. The small victory didn't last long before the tentacles began to regenerate.

"Show no mercy!" Gaoh snapped, bringing a roar from his minions as they charged at Naraku.

Tower and Orchard grabbed handfuls of tentacles and pulled them away from Gaoh. Naraku was pulled back from the fight, but wasn't deterred as he tried to pierce the two Imagin with his bodily weapons. As they were about to give the two Imagin knew breathing holes, Genie unleashed trails of smoke from the bronze spout on his arm. The smoky tendrils latched onto the remaining tentacles and kept them from destroying his fellows.

"Woooo-hooooo!" the Clown Imagin cheered as he came down from the air with his hammer raised.

"What?!" Naraku managed to get out before the spiked head of the hammer turned his head into pulp with a resounding crash.

"We got him!" Tower cheered. His elation didn't last long before the body of Naraku began to struggle again.

"What the-?!" Chimera gaped in confusion.

"It's a kugutsu," Gaoh explained. "Demon puppetry. A demon is capable of creating a clone by using a hair and a pile of wood or clay with this ability. Usually only strong demons can use it. I guess I was mistaken."

Walking forward, Gaoh pulled out his Master Pass. The body of Naraku continued to thrash against the bonds. Holding the Pass, Gaoh let it drop before it stopped over his buckle.

"**Full Charge!**"

Streams of energy cut through he air and were drawn into the Gaogasher sword. Raising the blade up, the blade detached and began spinning I the air. Looking at the struggling demon puppet, Gaoh brought his sword down. The spinning blade followed and cut into the false body like a hot knife through butter. There was a moment of silence before Naraku's body exploded in a haze of dust and hunks of wood.

"Pathetic," Gaoh growled as he recalled the blade. Grabbing his belt, he removed it, reverting back to his normal form. "Tower, Chimera, Orchard, Clown, Genie, we keep moving."

"Hai!" the five Imagin nodded before they returned to their leader. Soon enough, they were on their way again.

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Meanwhile, Naomi was giving a tour of the DenLiner to some of the curious members of the group. The people from the Feudal Era were amazed at what they were seeing. Kagome had gathered them all up from where they were amusing themselves and brought them all to the DenLiner for a meeting. They were just waiting for Kagome to come back with Ranma.

"And here we have the Dining Car!" Naomi smiled as she gestured the Feudal Era group to follow her.

"Wow! Kagome has all these sorts of things in her world?" Shippo asked in total amazement.

"They aren't so great," Inuyasha snorted. He had seen trains before in Kagome's world, even if they didn't look the same as the one he was in.

As the group was brought in, the Taros-tachi shuffled in behind them. Kagome was at the back with Ranma and Hana bringing up the rear with Tenma and Ranko. As soon as they were in, the Imagin took seats at their favored spots. The Feudal Era group just stood at the back while Kagome took a seat near her friends. Tenma sat Ranko on his lap as he sat at the bar. Hana took a seat next to them while Ranma had taken the main stand.

"Okay, now we know that Gaoh has a few days head start on us," he spoke. "Luckily, he left us the DenLiner so we'll be able to get to that shrine before he does. We also know our target, the GaoLiner."

"Can't we just take it?" Inuyasha asked grumpily.

"It doesn't work like that," Hana answered. "Only the owner of a train or the Rider in charge of it can make it do anything."

"Which means that unless we find the owner of the GaoLiner, Gaoh is the only one who can control it," Tenma grumbled.

"But how come that teme was able to control DenLiner, huh?" asked Momotaros.

"Because I was aboard the DenLiner," Owner's voice spoke as the man himself walked into the Dining Car. "If a Rider has a pass and the owner is on board the train, he can control the train as if it was his own."

"So if Gaoh gets on board again he will be able to steal DenLiner again," Urataros sighed depressingly. "I suppose we will have to treat it like the little fish hiding from the shark if that is the case."

"So what should we do when we get to that shrine then?" asked Sango.

"We will have to explain the situation to the priests there," Miroku shrugged. "If we can explain that the one who can control the GaoLiner is coming and he is not peaceful, I am confident that they will assist us."

"Provided they believe us," Ranma commented. "I've come to see a lot of people don't like to listen to things they don't like unless they see proof of it. Even then they try to deny it all the way until it happens."

"This isn't Nerima, Ranma," Hana chided. "People out here do have common sense."

"But Ranma-kun does have a point," stated Urataros. "If those priests see us they'll assume we are a band of demons as well. They won't trust us at all."

"Then we'll make them believe us!" exclaimed Momotaros.

"Sempai, violence will only worsen things for us. Unless it's a fight, your fists won't do much," advised Urataros.

"So, what do you expect to do?" wondered Kagome.

"I shall take control of Ranma-kun's body and then use my skills to persuade them," said Urataros.

"In other words, lie," Hana deadpanned.

"If we need to, we must," said Urataros.

"I don't like lying either," said Ranma, "But under these circumstances, we have to do what we have to do to save all time from Gaoh and his gang."

"Well, we still have to get there first," Kagome commented. "Shouldn't we wait for that situation to come up before we fight about it?"

"Good point," Tenma agreed. "So does anyone know which way this shrine is supposed to be?"

"I know," Owner commented. "As Owner of the DenLiner, it is my business to know any and all destinations."

The train suddenly lurched to life as the destination was finally set. The motley crew grew quiet as they waited to reach their destination.

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Gaoh and his men were seated around a campfire and were chowing down on some 'donations' they had received from some travelers they had passed. Chimera and Clown were eating like pigs while Orchard was draining nutrients from the soil. Tower chomped on some fish while Genie ate fruits. Gaoh himself was busy drinking some sake he had recovered.

"So what will be your first act when you claim the GaoLiner?" asked Tower.

"Depends," Gaoh smirked. "Since the past is dead to me, and this present will not accept me, perhaps my destiny lays in the future. We shall see when I lay claim to what is mine."

"I look forward to seeing that," Genie nodded. "I hope your generosity is as great as your ambition."

"I will grant you your gifts for your services," Gaoh nodded. "I will change the timeline to suit the Imagin. Your services will always richly compensated."

The five Imagin were satisfied by that answer. They had faith in Gaoh's power and believed that he would reward them for their servitude. Gaoh himself had no reason not to. They served loyally and without question. Such loyalty would be richly rewarded.

The group continued to eat and grunt when something caught their attention. It had skimmed out of the forest and was illuminated in a pale glow. It was snakelike and long, almost dragon-like. It had six insect-like legs and in those legs was a soft misty orb which was glowing as bright as the creature itself.

"What is that?" Chimera grunted through his food.

"Shinidamachu," Gaoh answered, eyeing the flying creature. "A soul collector. They capture souls of the departed and deliver them to the one who controls them. However, what they do with the souls is another matter."

"Huh," Tower rumbled. "Wanna see what's controlling it? Might make for good practice."

"Hm…" Gaoh was thinking it over. "Suit yourselves. Just remember our objective."

"Hehehehehe!!!" chuckled the Clown Imagin insanely. He was going to have a lot of fun now! He was getting bored anyway.

The five Imagin cheered and get to their feet. Gaoh just continued to sip his sake and wait for his men to have their fun. It would be good for their morale. If they got in over their heads then they would call for his help. They had pride, but they weren't stupid.

The five Imagin crashed through the woods after the Soul Collector. Each of them were imagining just what the controller of the creature would look like. Each of them were hoping that it was a powerful demon that they could fight. After all, only a demon would want souls, right?"

Breaking through the tree line after the Soul Collector, the five Imagin came to a stop in a clearing. Ahead of them was a large ancient tree that was glowing like the Soul Collectors were. Up in the boughs of a tree, they saw the one controlling the serpentine creatures.

She was a grown woman who was so beautiful she almost looked like porcelain. Her hair was a night back and hung down her shoulders while being teased by the wind. Her eyes were half-closed, seemingly in contemplation. On her back was a quiver or arrows and a bow was in her hands. She was wearing the traditional robes of a miko, which gave her more of a maidenly appearance. In all, she seemed almost too beautiful to be human. The Soul Collectors were floating over her, dropping the souls they captures into her body.

A very beautiful and alluring sight.

"Awwwww!" the five Imagin groaned in disappointment.

"This is it?" Chimera asked in disappointment. "I was expecting some demon!"

"Poo!" Clown huffed.

"Talk about a letdown," Tower groaned.

"We've been swindled," Genie frowned.

"So much for a fight," Orchard sighed.

The woman's eyes fell upon the five Imagin of Gaoh's gang and she frowned. "You're an interesting bunch of demons."

"We're not demons!" snapped Genie. "We're Imagin!"

"Well, whatever you are, I shall be the one to vanquish you," said the woman. With that, she began to get up and ready her bow for an attack.

"So, the lady wants to fight eh?" Chimera smirked. "Shall we oblige her, boys?"

"Damn right!" Tower laughed.

"Woohoo!" Clown laughed as he drew his hammer.

The five Imagin charged at the woman in the tree. With unnatural speed, she had already brought her weapon to bear and was loading an arrow into it. With practiced ease, she unleashed her first shot. It was aimed at Tower's eye, but the stone-skinned Imagin had to blink to avoid getting his eye pierced. The arrow just bounced off his stone skin. The maiden blinked in confusion for a split second before she reloaded and prepared to fire again.

"Hee hee hee!" the Clown Imagin cackled as he leaped at the woman with his hammer raised. He had moved so quickly, he was already too close. Being forced to abandon her station, the woman leaped from the tree as the spiked surface of the hammer crashed into the tree, reducing portions of it into splinters.

"Don't look behind you!" Orchard mocked as he threw his apples at the recovering woman. The apples exploded as they hit, releasing a kind of gas. The woman shielded her face and dashed from the cloud, but her vision was getting blurry and she felt sleepy.

Her blurry vision prevented her from seeing Chimera before it was too late. The animal Imagin slashed at her, leaving several gashes in her clothes. Luckily for the woman, she reacted in time to get away from injury. While leaping away, she brought up another arrow and fired it at the first discernable target she saw. The arrow flew true at the Genie Imagin. However, the incoming projectile didn't concern him as he raised his arm donned in bronze to block it. The metal tip collided with his arm, making a ringing noise and the arrow fell harmlessly to the ground.

"What are-URK!" the women spoke out before she was caught in a bear hug from the Tower Imagin. He squeezed with inhuman pressure that threatened to break every bone in her torso. Her already blurred vision was getting dark and breathing was becoming difficult.

"ENOUGH!"

The Tower Imagin instantly dropped the woman as he and his comrades backed away. Coughing, the woman rubbed her eyes and looked all around. She found a new figure approaching. He was dressed in black and bronze, looking like a lord. The woman struggled to her feet, not wanting to look weak. Her eyes were wide with shock as she did so. She recognized this man!

"It seems death has done you wonders…Kikyo," Gaoh spoke as he took in the form of the woman he knew fifty years ago. "You haven't changed a bit."

"I could say the same for you, Fang King," the woman, Kikyo, spoke bitterly. "You don't look any different than the day you tried to take over my village."

"I've found a way to bypass the years," Gaoh smirked. "Yet, it seems you've cheated death and remained a youthful as ever."

"What you see is nothing but a shell made from bone and graveside soil," Kikyo frowned. "I must use the souls of maidens to keep myself from dying again."

"Ah, so that explains it," Gaoh nodded. "That is a shame. A beautiful creature shouldn't have to live such a wretched existence."

"As soon as Naraku is dead, I will pass on," Kikyo replied stoically. "Until then I must continue on."

"Isn't Naraku that puppet-using guy we fought?" asked Tower.

"We destroyed one of his puppets," Gaoh answered. "He doesn't seem too impressive."

"His strength is greater than you know," Kikyo warned. "His deceit knows no end. He has plans within plans. All for the sake of repairing the Shikon Jewel and tainting it with malice."

"I do not fear him," Gaoh snorted. "Should he become a problem then I will merely erase him from time. I will make it so Naraku never existed."

"You hold such power?" asked Kikyo.

"I will soon hold time itself in my hands," Gaoh smirked. "Why, I could even change the day you died. I could make sure you never died. You would be alive and free from the constraints of this golem you call a body."

Kikyo's eyes narrowed in suspicion. She knew that men like Gaoh did not offer such things without a price. He was so confident that he would have the power he boasted about.

"All I ask is for your hand," Gaoh smirked. "Promise yourself as my bride and I will return you to life. Imagine the freedom of all time to wander and the power as my wife. Anything and everything will be at your command."

Kikyo's eyes narrowed in a cold look that he recalled when he first met her. It was such a nice look for her in his opinion. He liked it when she looked at him like that. It was that inner fire she possessed that made him desire her. Now he was holding all the cards as he made his intent to claim her and this time there was no demon that could ruin things.

"No," Kikyo answered coldly. "Only one man will ever hold my heart and it isn't you. I'd rather stay this way than to live as your wife."

Gaoh sighed and he summoned his Gaoh Belt around his waist. "I was afraid you'd say that. As an act of mercy, I shall free you from this wretched existence." He took out his Master Pass and pressed a button at the side of the buckle, releasing haunting music. "Henshin," said Gaoh as he tossed the Pass into the air and allowed it to drop down in front of the belt buckle.

"**Gaoh Form!**"

Gaoh's form was donned in the bronze armor of Kamen Rider Gaoh. His helmet was the last to change as the jaws slid down his face and reconfigured into a visor.

"Show me the power of your love," Gaoh spoke as he stepped forward, making Kikyo step back. "Then watch how I will crush it."

Gaoh didn't give Kikyo time to draw her weapon again. He concentrated his flaming ki into his leg and planted a kick in the centre of her chest. The revived miko flew through the air with a cry of pain and crashed into the tree she had been resting in before the five Imagin had found her. Coughing, she looked up to see Gaoh assembling a sword out of the four objects on his waist.

"I shall always hold you close," Gaoh sighed as he raised his Master Pass into the air. He then dropped it and let it pass over his buckle. "**Full Charge!**"

Gaoh raised his sword into the air and the blade detached, spinning into the air. Kikyo's eyes widened as she witnessed her second death coming at her.

"Goodbye Kikyo," Gaoh spoke before he sent the blade cutting through the air towards her.

An explosion ripped through the air for everyone to hear miles away.

Kagome let out a gasp as sweat poured down her face. She'd fallen asleep in the DenLiner when all of a sudden a vision invaded her dreams had woken her up. Inuyasha's ears twitched when he heard a noise from afar.

"Oi, mutt," Momotaros grunted. "What's got you so worked up?"

"Thought I heard something," Inuyasha frowned. He was so out of it he hadn't even registered the mutt comment. He turned and noticed that Kagome seemed to have been shocked about something. "Hey Kagome, what's wrong?"

"N-nothing," the girl from the future (Ranma's present, or Tenma's past) replied. "Just had a bad dream. That's all."

"If you're sure," Inuyasha shrugged as he settled back into his usual brooding position.

Kintaros was snoring loudly and Ryutaros was lying on a table, snoozing soundly with Shippo using his chest as a pillow. Miroku and Sango were next to each other, Sango resting her head on Miroku's shoulder. Urataros was leaning on his seat while Ranko was on his lap. Tenma slept across from them. The only ones awake were Ranma, Momotaros, Inuyasha, and Kagome. Owner, Hana, and Naomi were all elsewhere. Probably in private rooms. Sieg had retired to his quarters for the night. His attitude reminded Kagome of Sesshomaru except he was more talkative and less homicidal.

"How come you aren't sleeping?" Kagome asked Ranma.

"Not really used to sleeping in tense situation," Ranma sighed. "Back home, I'd get attacked at a moments notice. Either that or a fiancée ends up sneaking into my bed. Usually I'd wake up pretty quick or someone would wake me up with an attack."

"You mentioned them," Kagome grimaced. During his recovery, Ranma had imparted his usual introduction story. Needless to say Kagome was appalled and Miroku was oddly jealous.

"Yeah," Ranma nodded. "So I usually end up getting woken up in the middle of the night. That's why I sleep at school."

"What about you, Momotaros?" Kagome questioned.

"Want to get in on Ranma's fights," Momotaros shrugged. "The best ones happen at night or at school. That's not including Imagin."

"I see," Kagome said as he looked at the duo. They were so much alike that there was no wonder they were partners. Still, it surprised her that she now knew the Kamen Riders Den-O and Zeronos along with their secret identities. Souta would be so jealous but she couldn't really reveal their identities. What surprised her the most that some of Ranma's allies were from the same race called Imagin. Kagome had learnt that not all demons were bad. Still, it was pretty strange. Probably because she had been reminded of fairytales she had heard over the course of her life when she looked at them long enough.

"So will Deneb and Tamamos be able to follow us on ZeroLiner?" Kagome asked.

"Well, Deneb may act like a goof, but he's a pretty reliable guy," Ranma shrugged. "Tamamos can pick up any slack. They'll probably hide the ZeroLiner in the Sands of Time until Tenma calls for them."

Kagome had to agree that Deneb was pretty funny. He had handed out candy to everyone, hoping to become friends with them. Shippo was instantly his new best friend with the gifts. Inuyasha thought he was being stupid, but a simple 'sit' made him keep his opinion to himself.

"Better get some rest Kagome," Inuyasha spoke up. "We're gonna need it for that Gaoh bastard."

"Right, right," Kagome yawned before she rested her head on her hands on the table in front of her. She then quickly returned to sleep, snoozing softly.

Outside, the peace was only interrupted by the traveling DenLiner. Because they didn't have a ticket to be this far in the past, the DenLiner had to travel across the land instead of the Sands of Time. If it returned to the Sands of Time, it wouldn't be able to return to the Feudal Era unless Ranma was already there. As such, time was passing normally and night had long since fallen.

As DenLiner cruised along the grass, it was being spied by several sets of eyes. The owners of those eyes were situated on a hill where a small campsite was being kept. Among those there were a small toad demon holding a large stick with a lady and a demon head situated on the top. By the fire was a small human girl in a yellow and orange yukata. Snoozing next to her was a two-headed dragon-like creature. Finally, there was a human figure donned in red and white robes with black chest armor and a white furry boa along his shoulder. He had long silver hair and purple slash marks on his cheeks with a purple moon marking on his forehead. A large distinguishing feature was that he was missing his left arm.

This man was in fact the demon known as Sesshomaru, Lord of the West since the passing of his father, Inu no Taisho. He was also the half-brother of Inuyasha, although he didn't like to admit it. The two tiny ones were his servant Jaken and his ward Rin. The last creature was his steed affectionately called Ah-Un by Rin.

"What manner of demon could that be?!" Jaken gasped in shock.

"It looks funny," Rin commented innocently. She then looked up to the silver-haired demon. "Do you know what it is Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru was silent for a moment. Jaken just started berating the child for asking Lord Sesshomaru such stupid questions, but he started speaking, which shut Jaken up completely, "I have not witnessed this demon myself, but in my childhood, a large demon snake descended from heaven and began attacking everything. The resemblance is visible."

"Really?" Rin gasped in shock.

"My father would have dealt with it, but the humans had already sealed it into a mountain before building a shrine on top of it," Sesshomaru spoke.

"Perhaps that creature is like that demon from so long ago?" offered Jaken.

"We're leaving," Sesshomaru spoke before he started walking.

"Ah! Wait Mi'lord!" Jaken cried as he chased after the taiyoukai. Rin diligently put out the fire with dirt before she began tugging Ah-Un, waking the demon and pulling him along and catching up with Sesshomaru.

"What are you going to do now, Lord Sesshomaru?" asked Rin.

The taiyoukai didn't answer.

The sunrise peeked over the edge of the hills in the distance. DenLiner rang a chime before slowing to a stop with only a few feet of rail appearing in front of it. Giving off a hiss of steam, the DenLiner stopped completely.

Inside, Ranma was shaking bodies and pushing people to wake them up, "Okay, everyone up! Hana says that we're close to the shrine and we don't want to scare the monks. The Imagin will be scary enough."

Yawning, Ryutaros sat up and plopped the mumbling Shippo onto his shoulder, "So what are we going to use, Onii-chan?"

"We're going to head to the shrine and try to convince the monks what is going on," Ranma explained as he smacked Kintaros upside the head a couple of times. The Bear Imagin snorted a few times but wouldn't wake.

"Why must you disturb my rest, Boy?" yawned Sieg as he entered the Dining Car.

"We're near the shrine and we need to go on foot from here," Ranma answered as he moved to hoist the yawning Ranko off of Urataros' lap.

"Sleepy, Papa," Ranko mumbled as she snuggled into her future father's neck.

"I know," Ranma sighed, rubbing his daughter's back. "But Papa has to go fight bad guys and he needs Ura-nii's help. Think you can be a good girl for Auntie Naomi and Uncle Owner?"

"Okay," Ranko yawned as she rubbed her eyes. She then seemed to fall asleep in her father's arms again.

"Awww," Kagome giggled as she and Sango observed the sight of father and future daughter together.

"Amazing as always," Tenma chuckled from a glass of milk. "Only you and Mom only got her to go peacefully in mornings or at night. Babysitters and even me never stand a chance."

"I'm too young to be a father," Ranma grumbled as he set Ranko down on one of the softer seats in the dining car. Naomi happily draped a blanket over the little girl.

"Okay guys," Inuyasha grumbled as he and Miroku got their things together. "Let's get going already. I don't want that bastard Gaoh getting here while we're here yapping to each other."

"Now you're talking my language dog-boy!" Momotaros grinned. "Let's teach that teme a lesson!"

"Hey! Language!" Hana frowned, grabbing Inuyasha's ear and Momotaros' horn. "There are children here!"

"Gah!" the two hotheads cried in pain.

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From afar, Sesshomaru watched as the metal serpent demon came to a stop. He was surprised to see something looking like a door opening on the side and before long people exited. He recognized some of them including one hanyou. He really shouldn't have been surprised to see his half-brother. If something big was going down in the demon community, Inuyasha was most likely going to take a role in it.

The other humans were new. They dressed like the woman Inuyasha insisted to be with. Odd clothing which stood out. It was painfully obvious they came from the same place the girl did. The five strange demons with them were more than just strange. They acted friendly towards the humans, even as if they were real friends.

Sesshomaru eyed the strange demons and the humans in the company of his brother. Since Inuyasha was involved with the metal serpent then the Lord of the West knew he had to see just what the situation was about. Besides, it had been a while since he had last seen his 'dear' little brother.

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"So, Pop, what's the plan?" asked Tenma.

"Well, we could have Kagome speak for us," said Ranma. "She has the most common sense."

"I agree, Ranma-kun," said Urataros. "She's very charming. The priests can't refuse her."

"Hey, turtle, you don't know that for sure," snorted Momotaros.

"A pretty face can make a man or woman jump off a cliff with the right words," stated Urataros.

Kagome felt a little flattered at the compliments being given to her. Of course, having common sense wasn't a regular compliment but after hearing Ranma's life story, it was a major plus. Nerima seemed to be definitely lacking in the common sense department, especially when things like love, rivalries, or marriages came up.

"Um, but aren't these guys, priests?" asked Tenma. "Haven't they sworn off women or something like that?"

"Nonsense," Miroku denied. "If priests did that then how would the next generation of priests and priestesses be born?"

"You'd probably know that rule back and forth," Inuyasha grumbled.

"I say we go in and tell them," Sieg offered. "They have no reason to refuse us."

"Excuse me for saying, but that is an unwise idea," Sango argued. "While Imagin aren't demons, the resemblance is there. The priests inside will no doubt panic and refuse not only entry, but any kind of listening ear they might have."

"Good point," Ranma sighed. He then turned to the modern-day schoolgirl. "Well Kagome, anyone you think might be helpful?"

"Well…," Kagome pondered. "Maybe if I get in over my head Urataros can help me? I mean, he's a pretty smooth talker."

"Ah, Kagome-chan, you flatter me!" Urataros sighed happily. He moved up next to Kagome and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I can see that you and I will make a wonderful team."

"Hey! Watch it shell-head!" Inuyasha growled.

"Oh relax Inuyasha," Kagome huffed. "You get so jealous. It's unbelievable."

Ranma shook his head. After watching Kagome and Inuyasha interact, he discovered that while it first appeared to be the same relationship as between him and Akane, it was in fact light years apart. Ranma and Inuyasha were both egotistical, chauvinistic sometimes, stronger than most people, and had power that not many were granted with. The difference was in the details though. Kagome was a serious girl who knew exactly what she wanted and wasn't afraid to work for it. Ranma had seen how she practiced with her bow and miko abilities while he was recovering. She was also good enough to watch Inuyasha's back, which helped the half-demon trust her like he did. While they would argue, Kagome usually kept a level head and never used her submission word unless Inuyasha said something genuinely stupid, insulting, or tried to control Kagome. Inuyasha may have acted tough, but Kagome obviously meant something to him. Judging from the way he took notice of her waking up the previous night, he at least cared as a friend.

Ranma's relationship with Akane was way different. Akane and Ranma were forced together in a hair-brained plot to unite their schools of martial arts. Never mind that both were firmly against it, no one wanted to hear it and continued trying to force them together. Akane was always on her anti-pervert crusade and even when it was obvious that a girl was at fault in Ranma's sometimes embarrassing situations, Akane blamed him first and never asked otherwise. It was like Akane believed girls could do no wrong, even though she fought against the fiancées all the time. Akane also never took the proper time to train up her skills. She just smashed bricks and went through the katas she knew, even though she never tried to correct any mistakes. She may have gotten stronger physically, but never better in skill. Akane seemed to be in a mindset that raw power was what a martial artist needed most. It was something that Akane tried with everything, reflecting how she plowed through everything she tried to learn and usually made the result unidentifiable (or inedible).

Kagome and Inuyasha trusted each other and had faith in each other. Ranma knew that Akane didn't trust him since day one (give or take a few incidents) and always jumped to the worst conclusions about things.

'_I'm listening to Urataros too much_.' Ranma thought, breaking off from his internal monologue. '_I'm starting to sound all philosophical._' But was it really so wrong for him to reflect on his life? The Imagin helped him some of his problems. Heck, he was maturing and seeing things through different point of views. He knew a lot of people had noticed the change. Most didn't like it. Like Cologne for example. She was somewhat aware of the Imagin but not enough to connect him to Den-O.

Inuyasha sniffed the air and stiffened, "Guys, we got company." His eyes narrowed as he gripped his sword's hilt.

The group looked to Inuyasha before checking in the direction of where he was looking. What they found was a tall man with silver hair walking towards them. Standing a bit behind him was a dragon-like creature, a toad thing with a stick, and a little girl. Ranma and Tenma both tensed when they saw him. They didn't need to see how Inuyasha and the rest were reacting to the guy to know that he was dangerous.

"He looks like dog-boy," Momotaros grunted, getting ready with a fight.

"He should," Miroku frowned. "That is Sesshomaru. He's Inuyasha's half-brother and he's a full demon. He is also a taiyoukai, the Lord of the West. A title he inherited from his father."

"Then Inuyasha's father was nobility," Urataros commented. He glanced at the silver-haired half demon ponderously. "He doesn't look it."

"Why would I want anything to do with my old man?" asked Inuyasha with a growl.

"Hm?" Sieg blinked. "How interesting."

"It's been awhile," said Sesshomaru in what could be considered a greeting.

"Not long enough," Inuyasha growled.

"I see you've kept the same company," Sesshomaru observed, "And some new friends as well. Tell me, what is that demon you rode?"

"It's not a demon," said Ranma firmly.

"Whatever it is, it does resemble a large serpent I saw long ago," stated Sesshomaru.

"You've seen the GaoLiner?" questioned Tenma.

"GaoLiner?" Sesshomaru stared. "So that is what the beast was called. I want to know the meaning of this item." The Lord of the West gestured to the DenLiner, which sat innocently at the side.

"We don't owe you anything!" Inuyasha growled. "We've got business with the GaoLiner and we don't have time to deal with you. So shove off!"

"Not until I get what I want to know," Shesshomaru frowned. In a flash of movement, he was suddenly only a foot away from the group with his hand on the hilt of the Tokijin. "Now, tell me."

"I sad…NO WAY!!" Inuyasha yelled as he drew his Tetsusaiga in a wide slash. Sesshomaru drew his own sword and the two demonic weapons clashed against each other.

Sieg was curious. So, that uncouth dog youth was of noble blood, was he? Well, maybe it was time Sieg taught Inuyasha the proper mannerisms of a prince while also showing Sesshomaru his place. He looked towards Ranma, who had his Hyper Pass gripped in hand. Casually walking towards him, he then took possession of Ranma.

'_Sieg!? What are you doing!?_' shouted Ranma.

"Sorry, Ranma," said Ranma White right before Sieg exited with the Pass in hand. Sieg continued, "I think it's time I show our comrades how nobility fights."

"Oh…don't tell me," groaned Ranma.

Sieg then turned his eyes towards the battle before turning into energy that flew into Inuyasha's body. Inuyasha stiffened as white feathers flew out of his body and Sesshomaru was pushed back by the aura.

Inuyasha's body had gone limp as the feathers drifted to the ground. His gaze was on the ground as he let the blade of the Tetsusaiga rest against the ground. There was little movement before Inuyasha looked up, but his eyes were white instead of their usual gold. His silver hair was done up in a braid with some resting on the front. If you looked close enough, you would have been able to see streaks of white running through the silver strands.

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as he took in the stance of his brother. It was relaxed, but confident. Oddly enough, it was one that Sesshomaru himself adopted. Whatever was possessing his foolish little brother, it carried itself like nobility.

"What…what happened to Inuyasha?" Kagome asked with mounting concern.

"That bird teme possessed him!" Momotarros growled. "He's stealing the fight! I should have done that!"

"But you can't possess anyone besides Ranma," Urataros sighed. "Only Sieg seems to hold that ability."

"But why is Sieg doing this?" asked Sango as she gripped her weapon closely.

"He mentioned something about showing us how nobility fights," Ranma frowned. "And the snobby jerk stole my pass! I can't turn into Den-O if things get hairy."

"Wait," Tenma blinked. "Are you saying that Inuyasha and Sieg have the Hyper Pass?"

"Yeah," Ranma nodded.

Inuyasha White looked forward at Sesshomaru who was taking in the new information and considering his next action. Obviously he was trying to see what Sieg's presence was doing in this battle with his brother.

"Hmm," Inuyasha White smirked. "Now, see how a warrior of noble blood fights his battles."

A black circle cut through the air towards Inuyasha and circled around him. It did that for a moment before wrapping around his waist. Sheathing the Tetsusaiga, Inuyasha White then brought up the Hyper Pass, holding it out for Sesshomaru to see. As he did so, a tune began to play from the belt.

"Henshin," Inuyasha White spoke before he swiped the pass over the Wing Buckle.

"**Wing Form!**"

Everyone watched, stunned and amazed, as white shards completed enveloped the possessed hanyou's body, forming a golden suit with black armor on his torso, white gauntlets on his arms and silver boots on his legs. The helmet was white with a silver mouthguard and black eyes. Then, white armor with wing-shaped shoulders snapped onto his base armor before a blue swan appeared and slid over the helmet. Finally, the swan's head folded back as the wings snapped on before white wings spread out from the armored hanyou's back, exploding into shining feathers which rained down around them.

"Advent," Den-O WF began, "At the top of everything."

"That dog! He's become…" Momotaros began.

"Den-O," finished Ranma and Kagome. Tenma knew this would happen. It was the only explanation.

Den-O WF eyed Sesshomaru as the demon did the same to him. Den-O WF knew from Inuyasha's memories that Sesshomaru was no lightweight opponent. Sesshomaru was also making sure that this new opponent was not a threat. It may have been the body of his brother, but the one in control was definitely not him. The armor and the power that he had felt pulsing from the body was something he hadn't seen or felt before. He would have to be careful.

"Let us show them how true nobles fight," Den-O WF challenged as he drew pieces of the DenGasher before connecting them, creating a small axe and a boomerang.

"Hn," Sesshomaru frowned as he held up the Tokijin. He hoped that this fight would prove to be amusing.

Rin, meanwhile, had become curious and went towards the DenLiner. She wanted to know what it was like inside. With everyone's attention on the battle that was about to unfold, nobody went to stop her. Moving to the side of the giant metal 'snake', she started knocking on the sides. Echoing sounds answered her, confusing the little girl. So the snake was empty inside?

Continuing along, she knocked on the metal snake some more. As she did, she heard a funny sliding noise. Looking to the source, she saw a hole in the side of the metal snake.

"Ha ha!" Rin giggled as she headed straight of the opening. Climbing up the stairs, she entered the white halls. The tiny girl was looking in all directions as she tried to look at everything. It was so neat! Walking some more, she found another door. She walked up closer to it and knocked on it, which opened it. Smiling, Rin stepped inside before her eyes widened in awe.

Rin had never seen such a place before. It was amazing and so clean as well. There were all sorts of little chairs and tables around. At the front of the weird room there was a taller table with tall chairs at the end.

There didn't seem to be anyone around though but then she felt a tap on her shoulder. Spinning around, the little girl looked to see another little girl with red hair staring back with a curious pair of eyes and s smile.

"Hi, I'm Ranko! What's your name?" the new girl asked.

"Rin is Rin!" the yukata-clad girl smiled.

"Hi Rin!" Ranko smiled. As she was talking, sand began to pour from her sleeves and pants. Rin was entranced as the sand piled up and formed into the body of a lady with a fox mask and a kimono on.

"Ranko-hime, what has your brother said about talking to strangers?" asked Tamamos gently.

"Um…not to unless they're attacking me? Then I kick their butts?" Ranko asked after some thought.

"Hello sandy lady!" Rin smiled, catching Tamamos' attention. "Rin is Rin. What's your name?"

"I am called Tamamos," the Fox Imagin answered, keeping an eye on the little girl. "Why have you come onto the train?"

"Well, Lord Sesshomaru is playing with his brother and Rin was bored," Rin answered. "Rin then decided to look at the metal snake. Rin knocked on the sides and a hole opened. Rin then walked inside and met Ranko and Tamamos."

"So…how is this…Sesshomaru, playing with his brother? Who is his brother?" asked Tamamos.

"Oh, the doggy man!" Rin giggled. "He has white hair just like Lord Sesshomaru. Well, the doggy man is wearing some weird gold suit now. It was amazing to see it appear on him."

"Ooooh! Inuyasha changed into Den-O?" Ranko smiled in excitement. "How did he do it?"

"Den-O? What is that?" asked Rin. "And the doggy man changed when that bird man went inside him. How did he do that?"

"Hm, it seems that Sieg is once again showing off," said Tamamos thoughtfully.

"Wanna play?" asked Ranko cheerfully. She didn't have that many friends her age anymore so it would be nice to have a playmate close to her age.

"OK!" Rin beamed.

"Yay!" Ranko cheered. "Wanna be friends?"

Back outside, sparks flew as Den-O WF and Sesshomaru were exchanging blows in their dance of death. Though Sesshomaru wanted to duel with his brother, this being who'd taken possession of the hanyou was proving to be a worthy opponent and had a better vocabulary than his uncouth younger brother.

"You fight like a true Lord," Den-O WF commented. Sesshomaru remained quiet, but he knew a compliment when he heard one.

"It seems my brother has potential to act befitting his status after all," Sesshomaru answered. "Maybe there is some hope for him after all."

"I try to be a positive influence to fellow nobility," Den-O WF shrugged. "Shall we continue?"

"Yes," Sesshomaru replied as he raised the Tokijin again.

It seemed that the two were about to go at each other again. Fortunately, it seemed that it wasn't going to happen. Before the two could continue their fight, the door closest the group of witnesses slid open. It caught the attention of both the group and the fighters. From the open door, two little girls scrambled out with the Fox Imagin behind them.

"Onii-chan! Papa! Come meet my new friend!" Ranko called out. Both she and a little girl with black hair wearing a yukata scrambled to the group hand in hand.

"Ranko, what are you doing out here?" Tenma groaned as he went to see to his sister.

"I want you to meet Rin!" Ranko smiled. "She's me new friend!"

"Hello!" the new girl smiled brightly. "Rin is Rin."

Sesshomaru instantly turned his eyes to his young ward. Giving off a sigh that not even the ears of Inuyasha would hear, he lowered his guard and sheathed his sword. Ignoring Den-O, he walked past the armored fighter and towards the group.

"Rin," Sesshomaru spoke. "What did I tell you about leaving?"

"Oh! Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin smiled. "I made a new friend! Her name is Ranko and she lives inside one of these metal snakes. Ranko says she and her friends are here to stop a mean man named Gaoh from finding another metal snake buried underneath a shrine."

The group blinked at the swift explanation of the little girl. Sesshomaru remained silent as he took in the news. It seemed that things were beginning to calm down after the heated battle between Den-O and the Lord of the West.

"Then I have a new question then," Sesshomaru answered tonelessly. "Who is the one you call Gaoh?"

Ranma was the one who decided to end this. Bravely stepping forward, he gained the attention of the taiyoukai. Ranma didn't flinch under his icy gaze, being used to such things. He had received such stares from both Herb and Saffron. Still, those guys were willing to kill them. Sesshomaru had the same lethal glare but his stance seemed relaxed…almost.

"Gaoh is someone who is able to change into armor like Inuyasha did," Ranma explained, trying to make things clear. He didn't need another fight to happen when Gaoh was getting closer. It felt kind of weird standing next to Den-O WF though, after wearing the role for so long. "The GaoLiner is the artifact connected to his power. If he gets it then we might as well kiss the world as we know it goodbye."

"Then he is a dire threat," Sesshomaru nodded. At least this odd human was willing to give him some straight answers.

"An incredible threat," Ranma replied. "He could make it so none of us ever existed if he wanted to. That's how powerful the GaoLiner is."

Sesshomaru didn't visibly react, but rest assured he began to appreciate just how dire the situation was. While he doubted a simple human with an enchanted suit of armor could be a threat, he was much more wary of what he had come to understand was sealed underneath the human shrine. It was a creature which came from the heavens so what abilities it held were a mystery. Of course, what did make him react was what he heard next.

"So…I'm asking…could we count on you help?" Ranma suddenly asked with some resistance from his pride.

As the words left Ranma's mouth, Den-O WF suddenly grunted and twitched on the spot. In a flurry of white shards, Sieg was catapulted out of Inuyasha's body. The Den-O belt and Hyper Pass dropped to the grassy ground. While Sieg tried to get his balance back, Inuyasha was stomping over to Ranma while exercising his vocal chords.

"WHAT!?" Inuyasha shouted.

"Pardon?" Sesshomaru blinked, surprised by the request. This human was asking for his help?

"ARE YOU STUPID!?" Inuyasha barked in Ranma's face. "NO WAY AM I WORKING WITH HIM!"

"The feeling is mutual," said Sesshomaru coolly. Inuyasha glared at his half-brother hotly.

"Listen," said Tenma. "Like it or not, we have to work together. All of time as we know is in danger so Gaoh is a threat to all of us. We need to recruit all the help we can get in order to make sure that this, the past and future will still exist."

Sesshomaru eyed the second human. This was sounding like a grave situation. It sounded a lot like when Menoumaru attempted to finish his father's work or when the Panther Demon Tribe attempted another conquest. This Gaoh person was sounding like he was on the same level. A worthy foe he supposed, but was it worth his time?

"Please Lord, Sesshomaru?" asked Rin with a cute pout. "Rin wants to stay with her friend Ranko."

Sesshomaru seemed silent for a moment before he nodded slightly, "Very well. I will assist."

"HUH?!" Inuyasha and his friends gaped. Was Sesshomaru actually being agreeable?

"This is a threat to all of us," said Sesshomaru. "And, once more, it will give me a chance to exercise my blade."

"Then we're in agreement," Sieg nodded. He then turned to Inuyasha and swatted his head, earning an indignant growl. "Next time fight like someone befitting your status. I will not be there to educate you all the time."

"I don't need your help!" Inuyasha snapped.

"You need all the help you can get, Little Brother," Sesshomaru remarked. "This bird was a far better fighter than you. You could stand to learn a thing or two if you managed to actually listen."

"Why you-!" Inuyasha snarled as he prepared to draw the Tetsusaiga again.

"SIT!" Inuyasha suddenly crashed to the dirt in a cloud of dust. Kagome and the others finally came over now that the danger had passed. Well, as safe as it ever got with someone like Sesshomaru in close quarters. "Honestly, this isn't the time to be fighting each other. Gaoh is way more dangerous, especially if he gets his hands on the GaoLiner!"

Inuyasha made muffling sounds in the dirt, but everyone assumed they were curses or some other biting comment. Ranma sighed and retrieved his belt and pass from the ground. Looking at the colleted group of friends new and old, he decided that it was time to get the show on the road, "Let's go."

There were no arguments and soon the group left. The Feudal Era group was still wary about Sesshomaru though. He never really allied with anyone. For him to actually voluntarily travel with his half-brother, much less a bunch of humans, was out of character for him. Of course, if he really wished to test himself against Gaoh then being with their group would guarantee the encounter. Still, their current history with the taiyoukai made them more than wary.

The group came closer and took in the sight of the temple itself. It seemed rather worn, having being there for years. Grass and plants had grown on the hill, making look natural instead of a pile of rocks, but everyone knew what was sealed underneath. If they managed to get their way, then the GaoLiner was going to stay there for the rest of time.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Well, Sesshomaru has taken his place and looks forward to facing Gaoh. Kikyo seems to have met her end by Gaoh and his men while the grup has arrived at the GaoLiner's resting place. Things are coming to a head.


End file.
